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REPORT 


OF 

GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT,  C.  E„ 


OF 


STEAM  HEATING 


FOR 


CITIES  AND  VILLAGES. 


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IR,  IE  IP  O  DR,  T 

UPON  THE  SYSTEM  OF  THE 


OF  LOCKPORT,  N.  Y., 

FOR  TIIE  INTRODUCTION  OF  THE 


FOR 


CITIES  AND  VILLAGES. 


BY 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT, 

v 

GRADUATE  OF  WEST  POINT,  CLASS  OF  1S35,  AT  AGE  OF  l8  J  ENTERED  SERVICE  OF  PENN’A  AS 
ENGINEER  STATE  WORKS,  1S3S;  PROFESSOR  CIVIL  ENGINEERING  AND  MATHEMATICS  IN 
PENN’A  COLLEGE,  1S4O-1S47;  SUCCESSIVELY  GENERAL  SUP’T,  CHIEF  ENGINEER,  AND 
DIRECTOR  OF  PENN’A  R  R.  UNTIL  1S56;  AUTHOR  OF  GENERAL  THEORY  OF  BRIDGES, 

1852;  THE  FIRST  ONE  PUBLISHED  GIVING  RULES  AND  FORMULA  FOR  CALCULAT¬ 
ING  THE  STRENGTH  OF  BRIDGES;  CHIEF  ENGINEER  AND  CONTRACTOR  FOR 
HOOSAC  TUNNEL,  1S56-1S62;  CHIEF  OF  CONSTRUCTION  AND  OPERATION 
OF  THE  MILITARY  RAILROADS  OF  THE  U.  S.  J  AUTHOR  OF  WORK  ON 
MILITARY  BRIDGES,  I S63  J  GENERAL  MANAGER  OF  THE  LINE  OF 
RAILROADS  KNOWN  AS  THE  PIEDMONT  LINE,  FROM  RICH¬ 
MOND,  VA.,  TO  ATLANTA, 

ENGINEER  OF  SEABOARD 


,  GA.,  lS72  TO  1876;  CHIEF 

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OFFIC^JR 

D.  F.  BISHOP,  M.  D  ,  President.  B.  D.  HALL,  Secretary. 
SAMUEL  ROGERS,  Vice  President.  I.  H.  BABCOCK,  Treasurer. 
BIRDSILL  HOLLY,  Superintending  Engineer. 


LOCKPORT,  N.  Y. : 

UNION  PRINTING  AND  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  JOHN  HODGE,  PRESIDENT. 


1879. 


1- 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  submitting  to  our  present  and  prospective  patrons,  and  to  the 
public  generally,  the  report  of  General  Haupt,  The  Holly  Steam  Com¬ 
bination  Company  Limited  desire  to  state  that  this  very  thorough 
examination  of  the  Holly  System  was  made  by  General  Haupt,  not  in 
the  interest  or  by  request  of  this  Company,  but  for  other  parties,  in  no 
manner  connected  therewith,  who  required  the  professional  indorse¬ 
ment  of  this  gentleman,  before  committing  themselves  to  the  responsi¬ 
bilities  of  an  organization  for  the  introduction  of  the  System  in  the 
city  of  New  York. 

The  report  was  so  exhaustive,  and  supplied  so  fully  the  information 
and  the  data  required  by  all  companies  who  propose  to  introduce  the 
Holly  System,  that  it  has  been  extended,  and  valuable  tables  added 
by  the  author,  and  is  now  published  by  this  Company  for  the  benefit 
of  its  patrons. 

Applications  for  the  right  to  use  the  Holly  System  are  multiplying 
so  rapidly,  that  it  has  already  become  embarrassing  for  this  company  to 
undertake  to  furnish  engineering  services  in  preparing  plans  and  esti¬ 
mates,  or  skilled  foremen  to  superintend  the  construction  of  works. 
To  meet  these  wants,  General  Haupt  proposes  to  organize  a  corps  of 
assistants,  consisting  chiefly  of  graduates  of  the  first  engineering  schools, 
and  with  their  aid  make  surveys,  prepare  plans  and  estimates,  and 
when  desired,  superintend  the  construction  of  works.  Also  to  organize 


4 


INTRODUCTION. 


a  construction  company,  prepared  to  make  contracts  for  doing  the 
work,  when  parties  prefer  such  an  arrangement. 

It  will,  of  course  be  optional  with  local  organizations  to  adopt  any 
plan  for  constructing  their  works  that  may  seem  to  them  to  be  most  to 
their  interest ;  they  can  either  employ  a  superintendent  and  hire  hands, 
or  let  out  the  work  by  contract ;  but  in  all  cases  this  company  must 
protect  itself  against  the  injury  that  would  result  from  defective  con¬ 
struction  by  insisting  on  the  right  of  supervision,  with  proper  stipula¬ 
tions,  in  any  contract  that  may  be  hereafter  made,  for  its  enforcement. 

The  Company  also  reserve  the  right  in  all  their  contracts  to  supply 
the  expansion  service  boxes,  regulators,  metres,  and  traps,  which  are 
secured  to  them  under  the  Holly  patents,  so  as  to  insure  proper 
mechanical  excellence  in  construction  These  articles  are  furnished  at 
list  prices,  which  average  a  very  small  margin  on  cost  of  manufacture. 

Lockport.  N.  Y.,  March  28,  1879. 


REPORT  OF  HERMAN  HAUPT,  C.  E. 


To  the  President  and  Directors  of  the  Holly  Steam  Combination  Co?n- 

pany  Limited  : 

Gentlemen  : — I  herewith  submit  my  report  containing  the  results  of 
investigations  as  to  the  practicability,  utility,  economy  and  advantages 
of  the  Holly  System  for  furnishing  heat  and  power. 

The  subject  was,  with  possibly  a  single  exception,  the  most  difficult 
that  I  ever  undertook  to  investigate,  from  the  fact  that  the  few  who 
have  written  on  the  transmission  of  elastic  fluids  through  pipes  have 
given  rules  and  formula  which  were  found  to  be  in  their  results  incon¬ 
sistent  with  each  other  and  with  facts  proved  by  direct  experiment,  and 
some  of  the  experiments  as  reported  have  given  results  incompatible 
with  each  other. 

To  reconcile  these  inconsistencies  and  develop  a  theory  that  would 
conform  to  known  and  established  principles  of  pneumatics,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  be  consistent  with  the  facts  elicited  from  direct  experiment, 
proved  to  be  a  most  difficult  task,  and  yet  a  satisfactory  solution  was 
indispensable,  as  on  it  must  necessarily  be  based  the  solution  of  all 
questions  as  to  the  capacity  of  mains,  the  losses  by  radiation  and  fric¬ 
tion,  the  sizes  and  locations  of  boilers,  and  all  other  fundamental  con¬ 
siderations  affecting  the  determination  of  plans  of  operations,  capital, 
operating  expenses,  profits  and  dividends. 

It  might  have  been  supposed  that  a  report  less  voluminous  and  in 
detail  would  have  been  preferable,  as  the  general  reader  cares  but  little 
except  for  results,  and  is  not  disposed  to  follow  the  processes  of  reason¬ 
ing  or  of  calculation  by  which  the  results  are  reached;  but  the  fact  that 
rules,  formulas  and  conclusions  in  this  report  are  different  from,  and 
in  some  particulars  at  variance  with  the  rules  and  formulas  of  the  books, 
renders  it  necessary  that  the  discussion  of  the  subject  treated  upon 
should  be  as  complete  and  demonstrative  as  possible. 


6 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


The  practical  tables  which  accompany  the  report  have  involved  much 
labor,  and  should  be  of  value  in  dispensing  with  intricate  calculations, 
and  in  reaching  results  by  simple  inspection. 

A  brief  abstract  of  the  report  and  the  conclusions  arrived  at  will  be 
given : 

1.  The  report  commences  with  a  description  of  the  Holly  System, 
and  of  the  apparatus  in  detail,  as  also  the  manner  of  protecting  the 
mains  with  coatings  of  non-conducting  material. 

2.  Table  of  the  relative  conducting  power  of  different  materials 
with  suggestions  of  improvements. 

3.  Explanation  of  facts  observed  in  connection  with  junction 
boxes. 

4.  Suggestion  of  a  governor  for  maintaining,  at  all  hours  of  the  day 
or  night,  a  temperature  almost  perfectly  uniform. 

5.  The  discharge  of  fluids  through  pipes  considered  in  connection 
with  the  discoveries  by  Napier  of  apparent  exceptions  to  the  general 
law. 

6.  Resistance  of  long  pipes  to  the  flow  of  elastic  fluids,  and  laws 
which  govern  it.  Experiments  in  friction  of  pipes  with  air  at  the  Mt. 
Cenis  Tunnel. 

7.  New  law  enunciated  for  the  discharge  of  elastic  fluids  which  is, 
that  the  discharge  of  elastic  fluids  through  long  pipes  is  equal  to  the 
corresponding  water  discharge  under  like  conditions,  multiplied  by  the 
square  root  of  the  number  which  expresses  the  relative  density,  as  com¬ 
pared  with  water,  and  the  product  multiplied  again  by  the  square  root 
of  the  initial  density  in  atmospheres.  The  result  will  give  the  volume 
of  discharge  under  atmospheric  pressure. 

8.  Table  of  initial  pressures  in  atmospheres,  initial  densities  as 
compared  with  water,  and  volume  of  discharge  of  steam,  the  water 
discharge  being  unity. 

9.  Demonstration  of  the  law  of  discharge  of  elastic  fluids  through 
long  pipes. 

10.  Reduction  of  terminal  pressure  at  the  end  of  a  long  pipe  in 
consequence  of  drawing  off  at  intermediate  points,  the  laws  which 
govern  it,  and  rules  for  its  determination. 

11.  Discussion  of  important  experiment  at  Lockport,  using  the 
cylinder  of  a  large  engine  as  a  meter  to  measure  the  steam  discharged 
in  a  given  time,  which  confirms  the  law  of  discharge  previously  stated 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


7 


12.  Additional  confirmation  of  this  law  from  the  Mt.  Cenis  experi¬ 
ments,  which  give  the  exact  loss  by  friction  deduced  from  theory. 

13.  Table  giving  the  lengths  of  pipes  of  different  diameters  equiva¬ 
lent  in  frictional  resistance  to  one  mile  of  one  inch  pipe,  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  equalizing  resistances  in  calculations  when  pipes  of  different 
diameters  are  connected. 

1 4.  Consideration  of  formula  for  determining  loss  of  head  by  fric¬ 
tion. 

15.  Table  of  loss  of  head  by  friction  for  initial  velocities  of  5  to 
400  feet,  and  diameters  of  pipe  of  from  1  to  12  inches. 

16.  Consideration  of  the  capacity  of  mains  and  the  velocity  of 
steam. 

17.  Table  of  the  discharges  of  steam  at  atmospheric  density  under 
pressures  of  from  5  to  60  pounds  and  diameters  of  from  1  to  1 2  inches  ; 
a  table  which  has  required  much  labor  in  calculation,  but  which  will 
save  much  labor  hereafter  in  computation. 

18.  A  record  of  experiments,  facts  and  observations,  communicated 
by  Mr.  Holly,  is  given,  numbered  from  1  to  1 1 ;  and  these  are  fully 
discussed,  and  important  practical  conclusions  deduced  therefrom, 
chiefly  in  regard  to  losses  by  condensation  and  radiation,  and  affording 
data  for  estimates  of  cost  and  saving  by  the  Holly  System. 

19.  A  table  is  given  of  the  relative  losses  by  condensation  in  one 
mile  of  pipes  of  different  diameters,  which  shows  the  loss  to  be  1.9  per 
cent,  in  a  mile  of  12  inch  pipe. 

20.  The  subject  of  the  transmission  of  heat  by  a  circulating  pipe 
of  water,  is  discussed  in  detail,  and  the  conclusions  are  as  follows,  viz : 

The  water  that  can  circulate  in  2  miles  of  6  inch  pipe  under  350 
pounds  pressure,  will  be  only  1.85  cubic  feet  per  second.  Steam  will 
move  with  285  times  greater  velocity,  and  discharge  a  corresponding 
increase  in  quantity. 

It  is  only  the  units  of  heat  capable  of  being  utilized  that  can  be  con¬ 
sidered  of  value,  those  which  are  circulated  and  returned  to  the  boiler 
produce  no  useful  result. 

The  proportion  of  available  units  transported  in  a  given  time  is  more 
than  2  to  1  in  favor  of  steam.  It  costs  precisely  as  much  to  generate 
heat  units  in  water  as  in  steam,  both  being  proportionate  to  fuel  con¬ 
sumed. 


8 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


Two  pipes  are  required  for  hot  water,  and  only  one  for  steam,  and 
the  cost  of  the  water  pipes  is  fully  as  much  as  for  steam  pipes. 

The  radiating  surface  and  the  loss  by  cooling  are  much  greater  in 
water  than  in  steam  pipes,  in  consequence  of  the  double  pipe  for  re¬ 
turn  and  high  temperature  employed. 

On  the  basis  of  equal  expenditure  for  mains,  the  steam  pipe,  in  pro¬ 
portion  to  available  units  transported,  would  have  an  advantage  of  1 2 
to  1  over  the  hot-water  pipe. 

The  condensed  steam  from  hot  water  cannot  be  returned  to  the 
mains  without  pumps,  as  the  pressure  would  be  from  1  to  150  pounds. 

It  will  require  more  than  the  whole  engine  power  of  the  boiler  to 
pump  the  water  back  after  it  has  made  its  circuit. 

The  hot-water  system  cannot  be  utilized  in  any  manner  without  the 
expansion  joints  and  service  boxes  covered  by  the  Holly  patents. 

The  hot  water  cannot  be  used  as  a  fuel  to  generate  steam. 

To  use  it  as  steam  under  reduced  pressure  is  not  as  economical  as  to 
use  steam  direct. 

The  hot-water  scheme  is  utterly  impracticable,  and  the  liability  to 
explosion  in  consequence  of  the  high  temperature  proposed  to  be  used 
would  be  much  greater  than  with  steam.  The  only  way  to  utilize  the 
hot-water  pipe  would  be  to  dispense  with  the  return  main  and  pump, 
and  use  it  for  heating  in  indirect  coils,  but  in  this  form  it  is  part  of  the 
Holly  System,  and  covered  by  the  Holly  patents. 

21.  The  next  subject  discussed  is  the  cost  of  warming  an  average 
building  of  12,000  cubic  feet  as  compared  with  the  old  system,  show¬ 
ing  actual  cost  of  fuel  about  30  per  cent.,  or  a  saving  70  per  cent. 

22.  Estimate  of  plant  and  capacity  of  a  6-inch  main  to  supply  con¬ 
sumers  at  an  average  distance  of  one  mile. 

23.  Estimate  of  capacity  of  boilers  and  mains  for  warming  one 
square  mile  in  a  large  city. 

24.  Table  of  number  of  consumers  which  pipes  of  different  diam¬ 
eters  can  supply  at  one  mile  of  distance. 

25.  Table  of  quantity  of  water  evaporated  per  pound  of  coal  under 
different  pressures. 

26.  Estimate  of  cost  of  plant,  operating  expenses  and  profits  in 
supplying  an  area  of  one  mile  square  in  a  populous  city. 

27.  Considerations  affecting  the  location  of  the  boiler  stations,  and 
relative  cost  of  carrying  steam  or  of  carting  coal. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


9 


28.  Power  furnished  from  street  mains. 

29.  Suggestions  as  to  plans  of  operations. 

30.  Report  on  the  Ashcroft  steam  stove. 

These  subjects  are  fully  discussed  in  the  detailed  report,  and  the 
process  of  reasoning  by  which  the  conclusions  are  reached  can  be  read¬ 
ily  followed.  Independently  of  the  great  benefits  conferred  upon  the 
public,  few  investments  at  the  present  day  offer  so  large  a  return  upon 
capital,  with  so  little  risk.  The  present  investigation  seems  to  have 
removed  the  only  element  of  uncertainty,  which  was  the  required  ca¬ 
pacity  of  mains  for  a  given  consumption,  and  calculations  can  now  be 
made  with  as  much  certainty  as  in  estimating  upon  gas  or  water  works. 

An  estimate  is  submitted  of  the  cost  of  plant,  expenses  of  operation 
and  profits  on  one  mile  of  6-inch  pipe,  giving  capital  invested,  $32,600; 
operating  expenses,  $14,900;  income,  $23,400;  surplus,  73  percent., 
applicable  to  extensions  or  dividends,  and  this  estimate  is  based  on  a 
consumption  30  per  cent,  less  than  the  full  capacity  of  the  pipe,  if  con¬ 
sumers  were  uniformly  distributed  along  its  entire  length,  which  would 
be  536  consumers. 

A  six-inch  pipe,  however,  would  supply  only  a  small  village  containing  a 
population  of  say  2,000  inhabitants.  A  twelve-inch  main  (if  consumers 
were  uniformly  distributed  along  its  route  for  one  mile)  would  supply 
about  3,000  consumers,  and  the  margin  of  profit  with  a  consumption 
equal  to  its  capacity,  would  be  largely  increased ;  for,  as  the  ratio  of 
consumption  increases  the  proportion  of  general  expenses  and  the  cost 
of  plant  diminishes. 

An  estimate  is  submitted  of  the  cost  of  supplying  one  square  mile 
in  a  populous  city,  such  as  New  York,  from  which  it  appears  that  nearly 
10,000  horse-power  of  boilers  will  be  required,  116,000  feet  of  12-inch 
mains,  27,500  feet  of  3^-inch  pipes,  50,000  feet  of  2i-inch  pipes,  100,- 
000  tons  of  coal  annually,  and  150  firemen  and  laborers.  The  capital 
invested  will  be  slightly  in  excess  of  a  million  of  dollars ;  the  expenses 
$526,000.  The  income  on  a  basis  of  $100  to  each  consumer  of  12,000 
cubic  feet,  on  the  basis  of  the  Lockport  estimates,  and  full  capacity  of 
mains  utilized  will  be  $2,000,000  and  profits  140  per  cent.;  but  at  half¬ 
rates  of  charges  and  full  consumption  the  profits  will  still  be  66  per 
cent. 

The  question  is  also  considered  as  to  the  expediency  of  locating  the 


2 


10 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


boiler  station  near  a  convenient  source  of  coal  supply  and  extending 
mains  to  a  greater  distance,  and  the  conclusion  reached  is,  that  it  is 
much  cheaper  to  cart  coal  than  to  carry  steam,  and  that  the  station 
or  stations  should  be  located  as  near  as  possible  to  the  consumption. 

The  report  on  the  steam  stove  exhibits  remarkable  results.  There 
are  few  kinds  of  cooking  that  cannot  be  done  satisfactorily,  and  at  the 
temperature  due  to  40  pounds  pressure.  Baking,  broiling  and  frying 
can  be  done  with  great  expedition.  Nothing  can  be  scorched,  and  the 
flavor  of  all  meats,  vegetables,  fish,  etc.,  is  very  superior  to  that  of 
dishes  prepared  in  the  ordinary  way. 

The  cost  of  fuel  measured  by  steam  consumed  is  almost  incredibly 
small ;  and  for  the  poorer  classes,  occupying  tenement  houses,  the  stove 
could  serve  as  a  radiator  and  furnish  all  the  heat  necessary,  as  well  as 
cook  the  food,  at  a  cost  of  a  very  few  cents  daily. 

The  combination  of  the  steam  stove  with  the  Holly  System  would 
be  a  great  boon  to  all  classes,  but  to  the  poor  especially.  The  security 
against  fires  should  be  largely  increased  and  the  insurance  rates 
diminished. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

H.  HAUPT, 

Consulting  Eng*r,  328  Walnut  street ,  Phila. 


DETAILED  SCIENTIFIC  REPORT  OF  H.  HAUPT 
ON  THE  HOLLY  STEAM  COMBINATION 
SYSTEM. 


To  the  President  and  Directors  of  the  Holly  Steam  Combination  Com¬ 
pany  Limited  : 

Gentlemen  : — In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  visited  Lockport 
to  examine  into  the  practical  working  of  your  system  for  supplying  heat 
and  power  to  cities  and  other  populous  localities,  and  to  satisfy  myself 
and  others  who  desired  my  opirion  as  to  the  reliability  of  the  tests  and 
experiments  made  by  your  engineer,  Mr.  Birdsill  Holly. 

After  a  sojourn  of  eight  days  at  Lockport,  during  which  every  facility 
for  examination  was  afforded  and  some  of  the  more  important  experi¬ 
ments  repeated,  I  am  able  to  report  that  I  am  more  than  satisfied.  My 
friends  charge  me  with  being  an  enthusiast ;  with  having  steam  on  the 
brain ;  but  if  I  have  caught  the  infection,  it  is  at  least  some  consolation 
to  know  that  it  is  becoming  epidemic,  and  that  the  marked  success 
which  has  attended  the  introduction  of  the  system  in  Lockport  has 
resulted  in  so  many  inquiries  and  applications  from  other  localities  that 
an  expanded  organization  is  already  required  to  attend  to  them.  To 
dispense  with  coal-bins,  dust,  dirt  and  attendance ;  to  avoid  the  alter¬ 
nations  of  summer  heat  and  winter  cold  at  short  intervals ;  to  remove 
the  embellishment  of  ash-barrels  on  the  curb-stone,  and  secure  a  con¬ 
stant,  uniform  temperature  at  all  times,  at  less  than  the  former  cost  of 
fuel,  are  luxuries  which  once  enjoyed  will  never  again  be  willingly  dis¬ 
pensed  with. 

But  the  capabilities  of  the  system  do  not  end  here.  The  uses  for 
small  powers*  for  manufacturing  and  other  purposes  would  be  greatly 
extended  if  such  powers  could  be  supplied  without  boilers,  skilled  at- 


12 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’s  REPORT. 


tendance  or  possibility  of  explosion,  and  with  no  expense  except  when 
in  actual  use. 

It  is,  perhaps,  not  unreasonable  to  predict  that  the  introduction  of 
this  system  will  extend  the  uses  and  the  applications  of  the  electric 
light,  one  of  the  principal  objections  to  which  is  the  power  required  to 
rotate  the  magnets ;  but  this  power,  after  the  introduction  of  steam 
mains,  can  be  furnished  like  gas,  simply  by  turning  a  cock,  and  at  no 
cost  whatever;  for  the  steam,  when  it  has  done  its  work,  can  escape 
into  the  radiator,  and  pay  for  itself  in  warming  the  apartment,  so  that 
a  wide  door  is  thus  opened  for  the  use  of  the  electric  light  for  domes¬ 
tic  purposes. 

In  confidently  endorsing  the  Holly  System,  it  is  necessary  to  explain 
the  grounds  of  this  confidence,  and  I  propose  to  explain  the  System 
and  its  operation,  determine  the  losses  from  friction  and  condensation, 
ascertain  the  distance  to  which  steam  can  be  economically  transmitted, 
the  velocities  of  transmission,  the  capacities  absolute  and  relative  of 
mains,  the  quantity  required  to  be  furnished  in  a  given  locality,  and 
such  other  details  as  may  present  themselves  in  the  discussion  of  the 
questions  submitted,  and  which  may  appear  to  be  necessary  for  their 
satisfactory  solution. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  HOLLY  SYSTEM. 

The  Holly  System  consists  in  the  generation  of  steam  at  a  central 
point,  its  transmission  by  well-protected  mains  to  localities  more  or  less 
remote,  and  its  utilization  by  means  of  various  ingenious  and  practical 
mechanical  devices. 

It  is  supplied  to  the  consumer  in  the  same  manner  as  gas,  and  is 
paid  for  in  proportion  to  the  amount  used,  as  indicated  by  a  meter. 

It  dispenses  with  fires  and  their  attendant  annoyances  and  discom¬ 
forts,  resulting  from  carelessness  of  servants,  dust  drawn  through  the 
registers  where  furnaces  are  used,  the  trouble  of  preparing  kindlings 
and  lighting  fires  that  have  become  extinguished,  of  removing  ashes, 
and  especially  of  the  liability  to  colds  and  inflammatory  diseases  from 
the  sudden  and  great  changes  of  temperature  to  which  all  other  exist¬ 
ing  modes  of  heating  are  liable. 

Advantages  so  great  would  be  cheaply  purchased  at  a  large  increase 
of  expenditure,  but  the  Holly  System  warms  buildings  with  great  uni- 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


13 


formity  of  temperature  at  a  cost  not  exceeding  the  usual  cost  of  coal. 

The  apparatus  and  fittings  can  be  furnished  at  about  half  the  usual 
charges  for  steam  fittings,  and  where  buildings  are  already  supplied 
the  ordinary  fittings  can  be  used  simply  by  taking  steam  from  the  mains 
and  dispensing  with  the  boiler  and  its  excessive  waste  of  fuel ;  for  it 
has  been  ascertained  by  careful  tests  that  the  evaporation  of  such 
boilers  is  only  four  pounds  of  water  per  pound  of  coal,  while  in  prop¬ 
erly  constructed  boilers,  on  a  large  scale,  with  proper  firing  and  attend¬ 
ance,  ten  pounds  of  water  per  pound  of  coal  can  be  secured  as  a 
regular  duty.  Where  houses  are  supplied  with  furnaces,  it  is  only  nec¬ 
essary  to  substitute  a  steam  coil  in  lieu  thereof  for  heating  the  air ;  no 
changes  are  required  in  the  flues  or  registers. 

Safety  is  another  important  consideration.  Boilers  cannot  explode 
in  cellars  when  they  are  entirely  dispensed  with,  and  houses  cannot 
take  fire  from  stoves,  furnaces  and  defective  flues  after  their  use  shall 
have  been  discontinued. 


APPARATUS  REQUIRED. 

Boilers. — The  steam  is  generated  in  boilers  centrally  located,  with 
reference  to  convenience  of  procuring  coal,  the  minimum  distance  of 
transmission  to  supply  consumers,  and  the  cost  of  real  estate. 

The  form  of  boilers  should  be  such  as  will  secure  the  largest  possible 
evaporation,  other  things  equal,  per  pound  of  coal.  The  President  of 
the  Weston  Boiler  Company  claims  for  it  an  evaporation  30  per  cent, 
greater  than  that  of  any  other  boiler,  and  gives  the  following  as  the 
evaporative  power  per  pound  of  coal : 

At  a  pressure  of  10  pounds  (241  °)  12  pounds  of  water. 

“  “  “  20  “  (260°)  10  “  “ 

“  “  “  50  “  (301°)  8}  “  “ 

The  evaporation,  it  must  be  observed,  is  not  constant  at  all  pressures, 

but  varies  with  the  pressure.  Water  at  2120,  converted  into  steam  at 
the  same  temperature,  requires  960  units  of  heat,  one  pound  of  steam 
at  2120,  containing  sufficient  heat  to  raise  5^  pounds  of  water  from  320 
to  2120,  and  the  total  number  of  units  above  o  would  be  960  +212 
=  1172. 

Now  if  the  temperature  of  the  steam  and  water  should  be  increased, 
a  larger  number  of  units  remain  with  the  water,  and  consequently  under 


14 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


pressures  above  the  atmosphere,  the  evaporation  per  pound  of  coal  will 
be  reduced  as  the  pressure  increases. 

For  example  :  if  the  pressure  should  be  increased  to  io  pounds,  cor¬ 
responding  to  a  temperature  of  241  °,  or  241  —  2i2°  =  29°,  above  the 
boiling  point,  the  one  pound  of  steam  must  not  only  be  raised  in  tem¬ 
perature  29  degrees,  but  the  5^  pounds  of  water  also,  and  the  total 
units  added  from  water  at  2120,  will  be  6.5  X  29-1-960=1148,  making 
a  total  of  1360  units.  In  like  manner,  steam  at  20  pounds  would 
require  6.5X48-1-960=1272  units,  and  steam  at  50  pounds  pressure 
pould  require  6.5x89-1-960=1539  units.  Now  if  the  Weston  boiler, 
or  other  boilers  should,  as  it  is  claimed,  evaporate  1 2  pounds  of  water 
per  pound  of  coal  at  10  pounds  pressure,  the  evaporation  at  20  pounds 
should  be  1148X12-^1272  =  10^,  and  at  50  pounds  1148X12^-1539 
—  8t9^,  which  is  nearly  what  Weston  claims  under  these  pressures. 

The  Lockport  boilers  evaporate  as  their  regular  daily  work  9  pounds 
of  water  per  pound  of  coal  at  25  pounds  pressure,  and  with  careful 
firing  and  other  precautions,  10  pounds  have  been  secured;  but  if  12 
pounds  of  water  can  be  evaporated  to  one  pound  of  coal  under  10 
pounds  pressure,  it  proves,  independently  of  all  other  considerations, 
the  immense  advantages  of  concentration  of  plant  over  a  system  of 
small  isolated  boilers,  whose  average  duty  under  careful  tests,  is  proved 
to  be  but  4  pounds  of  water  per  pound  of  coal,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
dangers  of  explosion  from  unskillful  or  careless  attendants,  and  the 
annoyance  from  dust  and  dirt. 

Street  Mains. — From  the  boilers  the  steam  passes  into  mains  laid  in 
trenches,  but  not  covered  to  so  great  a  depth  as  is  usually  required  for 
water  and  gas  pipes,  the  steam  pipes  being  generally  laid  above  them. 

The  sizes  of  these  mains  depend  upon  the  amount  of  steam  to  be 
supplied,  and  the  distance  it  is  to  be  carried.  The  laws  which  govern 
the  motion  of  elastic  fluids  will  be  discussed,  and  rules  for  the  deter¬ 
mination  of  dimensions,  will  be  given  hereafter. 

The  material  of  which  the  mains  are  constructed  is  lap-welded  boiler 
tubes.  The  largest  sizes  yet  laid  have  been  eight  inches,  but  in  intro¬ 
ducing  the  system  to  large  cities,  mains  of  twelve  inches  or  more  in 
diameter  will  be  required. 

A  twelve  inch  pipe,  one  fourth  of  an  inch  thick,  constructed  of  iron 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


15 


of  60,000  pounds  tensile  strength,  would  be  ruptured  by  a  pressure  of 
2,500  pounds  per  square  inch,  and  a  safe  permanent  pressure  would  be 
one-fifth,  or  500  pounds,  but  the  maximum  pressure  in  the  mains  from 
considerations  of  economy  is  intended  to  be  about  50  pounds,  or  only 
one-tenth  of  a  safe  strain,  and  one-sixtieth  of  the  bursting  pressure. 
The  rupture  of  a  street  main  may  therefore  be  considered  impossible. 

Protection  against  Co?idensation. — The  pipes  are  prepared  by  placing 
them  in  a  lathe,  in  which  they  can  be  turned  freely,  and  the  coatings 
as  now  laid  are  applied  in  the  following  order : 

1.  Asbestos  paper  about  J  of  an  inch  thick,  one  thickness. 

2.  Coarse  brown  porous  paper,  paper  roofing  felt,  such  as  is  used 
for  roofing,  before  it  is  saturated  with  tar,  two  or  three  thicknesses. 

3.  Manilla  paper,  one  thickness,  with  about  two  inches  lap. 

4.  Three  or  four  wooden  strips,  f  inch  broad  by  ■§  inch  thick. 
These  strips  are  wound  spirally  around  the  pipes,  one  turn  in  about  1 2 
feet,  and  the  whole  is  securely  bound  with  copper  wire  wrapped  spirally 
at  intervals  between  the  spirals  of  four  inches  on  pipes  of  eight  inches 
and  upwards  in  diameter. 

These  strips  leave  a  space  between  the  iron  pipe  and  the  wooden 
log  by  which  it  is  enclosed,  which  allows  it  to  expand  and  contract 
freely  by  changes  of  temperature,  while  the  logs  are  securely  anchored 
and  immovable. 

5.  For  the  outside  covering,  wooden  logs  are  bored  out  two  inches 
or  more  in  inside  diameter  larger  than  the  diameter  of  the  iron  pipes, 
and  the  thickness  of  the  wooden  shell  is  not  less  than  three  to  four 
inches.  Pipes  of  this  description  are  manufactured  at  Bay  City,  Mich¬ 
igan,  and  can  be  furnished  of  solid  logs,  of  as  large  inside  diameter  as 
sixteen  inches,  and  at  reasonable  prices. 

The  covering  of  the  pipes  for  the  prevention  of  radiation  and  con¬ 
densation  has  proved  remarkably  efficacious,  and  has  enabled  Mr. 
Holly  to  transmit  steam  to  distances  far  greater  than  were  formerly 
considered  possible.  Some  changes  have  been  made  from  the  original 
arrangement,  and  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  the  maximum  of  effi¬ 
ciency  has  even  yet  been  attained. 

The  conducting  power  of  various  materials,  as  determined  by  the 


16 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


number  of  heat  units  transmitted  per  square  foot  per  hour  by  a  plate 
one  inch  thick,  the  two  surfaces  differing  in  temperature  one  degree,  is : 


Copper .  5X5- 

Iron .  233- 

Marble,  coarse .  22*4 

Stone,  ordinary .  x3-68 

Glass .  6-6 

Baked  clay,  brick .  4- 8  2 

Plaster,  ordinary .  3*86 

Oak  transmitted  perpendicular  to  fibre .  i-7° 

Walnut  “  “  “  . 83 

Fir  “  “  “  . 748 

Fir  parallel  to  fibre .  i-37 

Walnut .  I-4° 

Gutta  percha  and  India  rubber .  1.38 

Brick  dust  sifted .  i-33 

C oke,  pulverized .  1.29 

Cork .  1. 15 

Chalk,  in  powder .  .869 

Charcoal,  in  powder .  .636 

Straw,  chopped .  .563 

Coal,  small,  sifted .  .547 

Wood  ashes .  .531 

Mahogany  dust .  .523 

Canvas,  hemp,  new .  .418 

Calico,  new .  .402 

White  writing  paper .  .346 

Cotton  and  sheep  wool  (any  density) .  .323 

Eider  down .  .314 

Grey  blotting  paper .  .274 


It  appears  from  an  inspection  of  the  above  table,  from  an  English 
author,  that  the  arrangment  of  enclosing  the  pipes  in  a  pine  log  not  less 
than  four  inches  in  thickness,  is  excellent,  and  cannot  be  improved 
upon.  Pine  wood,  when  the  heat  is  transmitted  in  a  direction  perpen¬ 
dicular  to  the  fibre,  is  an  excellent  non-conductor,  and,  cost  considered, 
perhaps  the  best  possible.  It  appears,  also,  that  loose  materials  are 
much  more  perfect  non-conductors  than  when  solid  and  compact,  as 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


17 


brick,  for  instance,  which  conducts  heat  3^  times  more  rapidly  than 
brick  dust.  Charcoal,  usually  considered  a  superior  non-conductor,  is 
not  much  better  than  pine  wood.  Eider  down,  cotton  and  wool  are 
nearly  equal,  and  the  very  best  on  the  list  is  grey  blotting  paper. 
Asbestos  is  the  most  expensive  article  used,  and  as  it  is  composed 
chiefly  of  alumnia,  which  does  not  rank  high  as  a  non-conductor,  baked 
clay  being  4.82,  and  ordinary  stone  13.68,  it  maybe  a  question  whether 
a  cheaper  and  more  efficacious  substitute  cannot  be  found.  Common 
paper  pulp  dry  should  rank  very  nearly  with  grey  blotting  paper,  which 
is  the  best  non-conductor  on  the  list,  and  I  am  informed  by  a  manu¬ 
facturer  and  patentee  of  improved  machinery  that  he  can  produce  this 
article  at  a  cost  of  a  cent  and  a  half  per  pound.  I  would  suggest  as  a 
substitute  for  the  asbestos  and  paper  coverings  a  coat  of  paper  pulp 
half  an  inch  thick,  or  of  such  thickness  as  would  make  the  cost  about 
as  at  present.  I  can  suggest  no  other  improvement  in  the  mode  of 
protecting  the  pipes — and  even  this  may  not  be  an  improvement — the 
question  can  only  be  settled  by  a  test.  If  it  be  considered  desirable 
to  retain  some  incombustible  material  next  to  the  pipe  in  case  it  should 
be  required  for  the  transmission  of  steam  for  power  at  temperatures 
higher  than  those  at  which  it  is  now  proposed  to  use  it,  a  paste  of  brick 
dust  and  coal  tar  might  be  a  good  substitute  for  the  asbestos  cloth. 

Below  the  pipes  is  laid  a  tile-drain  3  to  4  inches  in  diameter ;  boards 
are  placed  above  and  below  the  pipes  'daubed  with  pitch,  and  the  sides 
are  filled  with  broken  stone. 

Expansion  Jouits. — To  guard  against  strains  from  expansion  and 
contraction  caused  by  differences  of  temperature,  expansion  joints  are 
provided. 

The  extreme  limit  of  expansion  may  be  taken  from  320  when  the 
pipes  are  laid  to  31 1°  when  filled  with  steam  at  a  pressure  of  60  lbs. 

Wrought  iron  will  contract  or  expand  one  foot  in  151,200  for  each 
degree  of  temperature,  and  for  31 1°— 32°  =  27 90,  and  a  maximum 
length  of  200  feet  between  expansion  joints,  the  extreme  variation  at 
any  one  joint  will  be  ^  of  the  length,  or  in  200  feet=4^  inches. 

The  expansion  joints  are  connected  with  the  junction  boxes,  from 
which  steam  is  taken  to  consumers.  One  end  of  the  main  is  screwed 
into  one  end  of  the  box,  and  passes  through  a  short  distance  into  the 
3 


18 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 

interior  of  the  box,  upon  the  end  of  which  pipe  a  sleeve  about  six 
inches  long  is  screwed.  The  free  end  of  the  pipe  slips  loosely  into 
this  sleeve,  leaving  a  small  annular  space  through  which  the  steam 
escapes  into  the  junction  box,  and  thence  into  the  service  pipes. 

The  junction  box  is  a  heavy  casting,  weighing  for  large  pipes  several 
hundred  pounds.  It  is  bolted  to  the  brick  work  and  anchored  to  the 
logs  which  surround  the  pipes,  and  is  intended  to  be  rigid  and  immov¬ 
able.  The  free  end  of  the  pipe  passes  into  the  junction  box  and 
sleeve  through  an  ordinary  stuffing  box,  packed  with  asbestos  packing, 
which  appears  to  make  a  perfect  joint.  The  movable  end  of  the  pipe 
is  nickel  plated  and  polished  for  a  length  of  i  o  or  12  inches  to  prevent 
rust  and  reduce  friction.  In  large  pipes  of  8  inches  and  upward  a  ball 
and  socket  joint  is  provided  to  prevent  injury  or  strain  from  settling 
at  the  junction  box. 

The  junction  boxes  are  accessible  from  the  street,  being  surrounded 
by  a  brick  wall,  upon  which  is  a  heavy  cast  iron  cover. 

Mr.  Holly  stated  that  although  these  junction  boxes  had  been  fre¬ 
quently  opened  and  examined,  he  had  never  found  any  water  in  them, 
yet  as  the  process  of  cooling  in  the  mains  is  constantly  going  on,  water 
must  be  formed ;  and  there  is  no  escape  for  it  excepting  through  the 
loose  sleeves  into  the  junction  boxes. 

An  explanation  will  be  attempted :  Suppose  a  cubic  foot  of  water 
at  the  temperature  of  steam  at  50  pounds =301°  should  be  confined  in 
a  non-conducting  cylinder,  and  the  piston  be  moved  until  the  pressure 
became  equal  to  that  of  the  atmosphere,  the  temperature  of  the  water 
would  be  reduced  at  once  to  2120,  and  a  portion  of  steam  would  be 
formed  at  the  same  temperature,  the  proportions  being — 

55  pounds  of  water  at  2120  contains  55X212  =  11,660  units. 

7^  “  steam  “  2120  “  7.5X960=  7,200  “ 

62^  “  water  “  301°=  18,860 

Now,  suppose  the  water  at  2120  should  be  drawn  off  from  the  cylin¬ 
der,  leaving  the  steam  containing  7,200  units,  and  that  this  steam  be 
compressed  to  50  pounds  as  at  first,  the  temperature  would  be  restored 
to  301°;  but  it  would  not  be  all  steam,  for  7.5  pounds  of  steam  at 
301°  would  contain  7.5 X (960X Sg)  =  j,S68  units,  while  there  are  only 
7,200  units  in  the  steam.  A  portion  of  this  steam  must,  therefore, 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


19 


change  its  state  and  become  water  at  301  °,  and  the  amount  of  this 
water,  determined  by  calculation,  is  : 

Water  .893  pounds,  containing  .893X301°=  269  units. 

Steam  6.607  “  “  6.607  X  (960 X  89)=  6,931  “ 

Making  the  total  units  in  the  steam  at  212°=  7,200 

If,  now,  the  pressure  be  again  relieved,  the  water  would  return  to 
steam  at  212°,  on  the  supposition  that  no  loss  has  been  sustained  by 
radiation,  and  this  process  may  be  continued  indefinitely. 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  steam  at  212°  can  carry  13.5  per  cent, 
more  water  than  steam  at  301  °. 

If,  then,  the  steam  in  passing  through  the  sleeve  into  the  junction 
box  should  be  wire  drawn  so  as  to  make  any  considerable  reduction 
in  the  pressure,  the  water,  instead  of  being  deposited,  would  be  absorbed 
and  carried  into  the  service  pipes,  furnishing  moist  steam  to  the  con¬ 
sumer,  which  would  be  to  his  advantage.  I  see,  therefore,  no  reason 
to  apprehend  any  inconvenience  from  accumulation  of  water  in  the 

junction  boxes,  even  without  the  hood  provided  on  the  ends  of  the 

service  pipes,  which  would  effectually  remove  it  if  any  were  present. 

Service  Pipes. — From  the  street  mains  and  junction  boxes  the  steam 
passes  into  the  service  pipe,  being  taken  up  by  a  spout  called  a  hood, 
which  turns  freely  around  the  end  of  the  service  pipe,  and  is  designed 
when  turned  downwards  to  dip  into  and  remove  any  water  that  the  ser¬ 
vice  box  might  possibly  contain.  These  pipes  will  of  course  be  pro¬ 
portioned  to  the  consumption  they  are  intended  to  supply,  and  must 
be  carefully  protected  against  loss  by  radiation. 

The  mains  are  not  to  be  tapped,  and  the  service  pipes  are  intended 
to  connect  only  at  the  junction  boxes. 

In  populous  cities,  supplementary  small  pipes  may  be  required  par¬ 
allel  to  the  mains,  with  which  to  connect  the  service  pipes. 

These  pipes  may  be  laid  on  each  side  of  a  street  near  the  curb,  and 
a  small  brass  cock  put  in  opposite  each  lot  or  building,  so  that  if  future 
connections  are  required  they  can  be  made  without  disturbing  the  street 
pavements  or  shutting  off  steam  from  any  consumer.  Sometimes, 
also,  a  single  pipe  can  be  carried  to  the  centre  of  a  block,  in  the 
rear  of  all  the  lots,  where  a  distribution  box  of  cylindrical  form  will 
supply  all  the  consumers  of  that  block. 

Regulator. — After  the  service  pipe  enters  a  building,  carrying  steam 


20 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


at  from  25  to  50  pounds  pressure,  it  passes  through  an  apparatus  called 
a  regulator,  consisting  of  two  diaphragms  of  rubber  packing  acted  upon 
by  weighted  levers,  and  moving  small  slide  valves  by  means  of  rods 
connected  with  the  diaphragms.  The  first  of  these  valves  reduces  the 
pressure  from  the  mains  and  service  pipes,  whatever  it  may  be,  to  10 
pounds,  and  the  second  to  five  or  two  pounds,  as  may  be  desired  for 
use,  depending  upon  the  kind  of  radiator  used  for  heating  the  apart¬ 
ments. 

It  is  claimed  by  Mr.  Holly  that  the  regulator  will  act  perfectly  with 
a  difference  of  pressure  on  the  two  sides  of  only  one  pound,  and  thus 
there  is  no  greater  difficulty  in  maintaining  uniformity  of  pressure  at 
the  meters,  in  supplying  steam  for  power  and  measuring  it  accurately, 
than  there  is  in  furnishing  steam  for  heat.  I  see  no  reason  to  doubt 
the  assertion,  but  had  no  means  of  testing  its  accuracy. 

Meter. — From  the  regulator  the  steam,  at  a  low  and  uniform  pressure, 
passes  to  the  meter,  which  is  always  in  connection  with  and  operated 
by  the  regulator.  The  meter  resembles  a  yankee  clock.  It  is  about 
6  inches  square  on  the  face  and  4  inches  deep.  When  wound  it  runs 
for  55  days,  and  when  steam  is  passing  rotates  a  brass  screw  with  coarse 
threads  on  which  hangs  a  pointer  moving  along  a  card.  Each  revolu¬ 
tion  of  the  screw  registers  a  unit,  and  a  disc  of  two  inches  diameter  at 
the  end  of  the  screw  registers  fractions  to  hundredths  of  a  unit.  The 
value  of  the  unit  has  been  determined  by  numerous  experiments,  said 
to  have  amounted  to  hundreds,  the  steam  passing  through  having  been 
condensed  and  weighed.  The  variation  of  different  meters  does  not 
exceed,  it  is  asserted,  one  per  cent. 

The  meter  is  operated  with  a  link  motion.  When  the  steam  is  shut 
off,  after  passing  the  meter,  the  link  is  on  its  centre ;  and  although  the 
clock-work  continues  to  move  regularly,  the  index  and  screw  are  sta¬ 
tionary.  When  the  regulator  valve  again  opens  to  pass  steam  the  rod 
connecting  the  meter  therewith  moves  along  the  slot  in  the  link,  giving 
a  leverage  for  action,  and  the  screw  begins  to  rotate,  and  the  rotation 
is  the  more  rapid,  as  the  opening  in  the  valve  and  the  length  of  the 
lever  are  increased.  The  arrangement  is  exceedingly  simple  and  ingen¬ 
ious,  and  Mr.  Holly  and  his  son,  who  is  Superintendent  of  the  Lock- 
port  Works,  both  give  the  most  positive  assurances,  based  on  their 
numerous  tests,  that  the  indications  are  reliable.  I  am  not  prepared, 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


21 


however,  to  endorse  this  opinion  from  my  own  personal  observation, 
and  to  assert  that  under  all  circumstances  and  all  possible  conditions 
the  indications  of  the  meter  are  perfectly  reliable.  It  is  probable, 
however,  that  if  there  are  errors  they  may  be  compensating,  and  in  a 
month’s  run  the  differences  may  not  be  material. 

I  am  able  to  perceive  only  one  condition  of  things  in  which  the 
indications  of  the  meter  would  not  be  reliable,  and  that  is  one  the 
possibility  of  which  is  not  admitted.  If  steam  should  be  shut  off 
entirely  from  the  mains,  the  regulator  not  being  raised  by  any  pressure, 
would  drop  to  the  lowest  point,  and  the  pin  in  the  link  would  be 
moved  with  its  greatest  leverage,  and  indicate  maximum  consumption. 
This  would  only  be  possible  when  the  steam  was  shut  off  from  the 
mains  entirely,  which  would  probably  never  happen,  and  if  it  did,  the 
time  could  be  noted  at  the  office,  and  a  deduction  made  therefor  from 
the  bills  of  consumers,  at  the  rate  of  maximum  consumption  for  the 
time,  or  another  remedy  could  be  provided,  which  I  will  venture  to 
suggest. 

Between  the  two  diaphragms  the  steam  flows  in  a  pipe  at  io  pounds 
pressure.  In  this  pipe  could  be  placed  one  of  Dickey’s  reducing 
valves,  or  some  other,  so  adjusted  as  to  remain  open  at  say  five  pounds 
pressure.  If  the  pressure  fell  below  five  pounds,  which  it  never  could 
with  steam  in  the  mains,  the  valve  would  close,  and  in  closing  could 
throw  the  pin  in  the  link  into  the  centre,  and  thus  stop  recording  while 
permitting  the  regular  movement  of  the  clock-work. 

The  possibility  of  steam  being  entirely  shut  off  from  the  mains  is  so 
remote,  and  the  means  of  correction  if  it  should  occur  so  simple,  that 
I  doubt  the  expediency  of  introducing  any  additional  mechanism.  It 
is  a  satisfaction,  however,  to  know  that  if  the  difficulty  referred  to  does 
exist,  a  remedy,  sure  and  automatic,  is  not  impossible. 

Radiator. — Erom  the  regulator  the  steam  intended  for  heating  pur¬ 
poses  passes  into  the  radiators.  Any  of  the  ordinary  forms  may  be 
used,  and  all  the  ordinary  steam  fixtures,  including  the  indirect,  and  the 
air  flues  can  be  utilized  as  perfectly  as  if  steam  was  generated  in  a 
boiler  on  the  premises.  If  the  steam  is  to  be  used  with  ordinary 
fittings,  a  pressure  of  about  five  pounds  is  required,  but  with  the  Holly 
radiator,  two  pounds  will  be  sufficient. 

Indirect — The  steam  from  all  the  radiators  through  the  building, 


22 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


together  with  the  water  of  condensation,  passes  into  a  chamber  in  the 
basement,  and  through  coils  of  steam  pipe  enclosed  therein,  where 
fresh  air  is  heated  and  passed  through  flues  and  registers  in  the  ordinary 
way,  to  ventilate  while  assisting  to  warm  the  upper  apartments. 

Traps. — The  water  of  condensation  escapes  through  a  steam  trap, 
which  opens  when  the  water  is  at  a  certain  level,  and  permits  it,  but 
not  steam  to  escape.  The  water  from  condensed  steam  being  chemi¬ 
cally  pure,  may  be,  and  generally  is  utilized  for  domestic  purposes. 

Other  uses  of  Steam. — An  attachment  can  be  made  to  a  steam  pipe 
in  any  portion  of  a  house,  and  the  live  steam  used  for  heating  water  for 
bathing,  washing,  or  culinary  purposes,  the  noise  of  the  escaping  steam 
being  almost  neutralized  by  the  simple  device  of  a  small  metallic  box  of 
tin  or  brass  at  the  end  of  the  pipe,  filled  with  small  fragments  of  stone. 

It  has  been  demonstrated  that  steam  under  ordinary  boiler  pressure, 
can  be  used  in  suitably  constructed  ovens  for  baking  and  roasting,  and 
ovens  and  stoves  have  been  constructed  which  operate  successfully,  as 
will  be  seen  from  my  report  herewith  submitted.  Steam  for  such  pur¬ 
poses  requires  a  higher  than  ordinary  temperature  and  pressure,  and  a 
separate  meter  and  regulator  for  this  high  steam  is  necessary.  Although 
this  apparatus  would  not  be  expensive,  some  may  prefer  to  use  gas 
or  charcoal  in  the  kitchen  for  roasting  or  broiling,  but  for  every  other 
purpose  low  steam  would  be  entirely  applicable,  and  it  is  probable  that 
a  coil  of  steam  pipe  in  the  kitchen,  in  which  the  steam  could  be  super¬ 
heated  by  gas,  would  fulfill  all  requirements  for  roasting  or  baking,  and 
allow  the  extra  meter  to  be  dispensed  with.  For  toasting  bread  or 
baking  batter  cakes  or  waffles,  a  charcoal  furnace  would  probably  be 
the  best  and  most  economical  arrangement  possible,  and  then  ranges, 
stoves  and  furnaces  could  be  dispensed  with  altogether,  and  steam 
fulfill  every  requirement. 

The  Holly  Radiator. — The  most  perfect  system  of  warming  and 
ventilating  buildings  is  no  doubt  the  present  usual  combination  of 
direct  radiation  and  indirect  heat  and  ventilation  from  a  chamber  in 
the  basement  through  air  flues,  but  there  are  numerous  cases  where 
such  a  system,  independently  of  considerations  of  expense,  cannot  be 
used,  as  in  single  offices  and  often  in  stores  and  shops.  To  supply  the 
place  of  stoves  in  such  localities,  the  atmospheric  radiator,  designed 
by  Mr.  Holly,  is  admirably  adapted.  This  radiator  consists  simply  of 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


23 


tubes  of  tin,  copper  or  other  material,  closed  at  top  and  open  at  bot¬ 
tom.  Steam  at  low  pressure  is  admitted  at  the  top  through  a  simple 
index  valve,  and  being  lighter  than  air  displaces  it  to  any  extent  that 
may  be  found  desirable,  occupying  either  the  whole  of  the  radiator,  or 
only  a  few  inches  at  top,  according  to  the  temperature.  The  con¬ 
densed  water  runs  off  through  a  small  pipe,  and  is  not  further  utilized. 

Professional  men  will  find  this  radiator  admirably  adapted  to  their 
wants.  The  pipes  are  painted  and  bronzed,  and  are  quite  ornamental ; 
the  space  occupied  and  the  cost  are  trifling,  all  making  of  fires  and 
attendance  are  dispensed  with,  and  the  annual  cost  of  fuel  greatly 
reduced. 

Radiator  Governor. — If  in  addition  to  the  numerous  benefits  claimed 
for  the  introduction  of  steam  in  dwellings  and  public  buildings,  there 
could  be  an  automatic  contrivance,  which  would  occupy  but  little  space, 
would  act  with  certainty,  would  not  be  liable  to  derangement,  and 
would  maintain  the  temperature  of  an  apartment  perfectly  uniform 
night  and  day, — such  a  contrivance  would  seem  to  render  the  Holly 
System  perfect,  and  prove  a  luxury  to  those  in  health  and  a  priceless 
boon  to  invalids. 

I  am  quite  sanguine  that  this  can  be  accomplished.  I  find  by 
calculation  that  a  variation  of  even  one  degree  can  be  made  to  move 
the  index  valve  90  degrees,  which  is  much  more  than  is  required  with 
all  extremes  of  temperature. 

By  applying  the  index  valve  of  Holly  to  the  Walworth,  and  other 
radiators,  the  governor  could  be  adapted  to  any  of  them. 

Having  now  described  as  briefly  as  possible  the  system  of  Birdsill 
Holly,  and  its  mode  of  application,  I  now  propose  to  discuss  the  pneu¬ 
matic  principles  involved,  and  determine  the  resistances  to  be  encoun¬ 
tered,  and  the  losses  to  be  sustained  in  the  transmission  of  steam  to 
long  distances,  and  furnish  rules  for  the  determination  of  questions  in 
regard  to  the  sizes  of  mains  and  service  pipes,  velocity,  consumption, 
and  disposition  and  size  of  plant. 

DISCHARGE  OF  FLUIDS  THROUGH  ORIFICES. 

The  velocity  acquired  by  a  body  falling  freely  in  vacuo  is  eight  times 
the  square  root  of  the  height,  both  the  velocity  and  height  expressed 
in  feet,  and  time  in  seconds. 


24 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


The  velocity  of  fluids  escaping  through  an  orifice  follows  the  law  of 
falling  bodies,  and  is  expressed  by  eight  times  the  square  root  of  the 
height,  in  feet. 

This  result  is  not  practically  correct,  as  the  discharge  is  less  than 
would  be  due  to  the  full  area  of  the  orifice.  The  particles  in  escaping 
reduce  the  diameter  by  contraction  of  vein  to  .8,  and  the  area  to 
about  .64  of  the  full  area  of  the  orifice. 

In  the  case  of  elastic  fluids  the  density  of  a  vertical  column  would 
diminish  from  the  bottom  to  the  top,  and  the  height,  in  estimating  the 
volume  of  discharge,  must  be  taken  as  that  of  a  column  of  uniform 
density,  the  height  of  which  would  be  equal  to  the  pressure  at  the 
orifice. 

Where  the  discharge  is  made  into  a  receiver  containing  the  same 
fluid  at  a  reduced  pressure,  the  differences  in  pressure  must  be  taken 
in  determining  the  height  and  velocity. 

A  remarkable  exception  to  this  law  has  been  announced  in  a  work 
on  steam,  published  in  London,  1875,  by  D.  K.  Clark,  in  which  it  is 
stated  that  the  application  of  the  formula  for  gravity  is  limited  to  cases 
in  which  the  resisting  pressure  does  not  exceed  about  58  per  cent,  of 
pressure  which  causes  the  flow.  The  flow  is  neither  increased  nor 
diminished  by  reducing  the  resisting  pressure  below  about  58  per  cent, 
of  the  absolute  pressure  in  ihe  boiler.  For  example,  the  same  weight 
of  steam  would  flow  from  a  boiler  under  a  total  pressure  of  100  pounds 
to  the  square  inch,  into  steam  of  58  pounds  total  pressure,  as  into  the 
atmosphere. 

The  author  states  that  for  this  remarkable  discovery  he  is  chiefly 
indebted  to  the  experiments  made  by  Mr.  R.  D.  Napier,  and  refers  to 
a  report  on  safety  valves  made  to  the  Institution  of  Engineers  and 
Ship-Builders  in  Scotland  in  1874. 

Desiring  to  obtain  further  information  on  this  subject,  I  requested 
Prof.  Geo.  W.  Plympton,  editor  of  Van  Nostrand’s  Engineering  Maga¬ 
zine,  to  see  if  he  could  find,  in  the  libraries  in  New  York,  the  report  on 
safety  valves  referred  to.  A  letter  has  just  been  received  in  reply,  in 
which  he  states  that  he  found  the  report  at  the  rooms  of  the  Society  of 
Civil  Engineers,  but  that  it  merely  quoted  the  deductions  of  the  exper¬ 
imenter,  Napier,  in  the  same  form  as  previously  given.  Prof.  Plymp- 


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HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


25 


ton  also  states  that  Rankine  discussed  the  same  subject,  and  that 
Napier  contributed  articles  to  “  Engineering  ”  on  this  topic  in  1772. 

If  the  conclusions  of  Napier  be  accepted  as  correct,  it  would  appear 
that  steam  escaping  from  an  orifice  into  the  air  at  a  pressure  of  25 
pounds,  acquires  a  velocity  of  about  800  feet  per  second,  and  attains  a 
maximum  of  875  feet,  after  which  the  velocity  remains  constant,  how¬ 
ever  great  the  pressure.  Some  direct  experiments  on  the  velocity  of 
steam  escaping  from  an  orifice,  just  completed  by  Messrs.  Holly  and 
Gaskill,  of  Lockport,  give,  in  one  case,  951  feet  per  second,  and  in 
another,  1023  feet  per  second.  These  experiments  were  made  with 
great  accuracy. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  uuderstand  tfiat  the  velocity  might  be  constant, 
for  the  velocity  is  that  due  to  the  height  of  a  column  of  uniform  den¬ 
sity,  whose  weight  is  equal  to  the  pressure.  Now,  if  the  pressure  should 
be  doubled,  the  density  and  weight  of  a  uniform  column  would  also  be 
doubled,  and  the  height  which  determines  the  velocity  would  remain 
constant ;  but  the  declaration  that  the  weight  of  steam  discharged 
remains  constant,  requires  confirmation. 

The  efflux  of  steam  through  an  orifice  fortunately  has  but  little  influ¬ 
ence  on  the  discharge  through  long  pipes  where  the  velocities  are  com¬ 
paratively  low,  and  the  results  will  not  be  effected  by  any  uncertainties 
in  regard  to  the  velocity  of  flow  through  orifices. 

RESISTANCE  OF  LONG  PIPES  TO  THE  FLOW  OF  ELASTIC  FLUIDS. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  important  subjects  connected  with  the  prac¬ 
tical  and  extended  application  of  the  Holly  System,  and  it  is  one  upon 
which  comparatively  little  information  can  be  obtained  from  books. 
Mr.  Holly  states  that  he  has  searched  in  vain  for  any  reliable  informa¬ 
tion  on  the  subject,  and  the  only  table  I  have  found  published,  is 
headed  “  friction  of  air,  steam  and  gas  in  long  pipes,”  without  any  rec¬ 
ognition  of  the  influence  of  density,  which  would  cause  the  results  to 
vary  in  the  wide  range  of  from  4  to  10.  I  propose,  therefore,  to  give 
this  subject  a  careful  consideration. 

When  engaged  in  maturing  plans  for  tunneling  the  Hoosac  moun¬ 
tain,  I  made  a  series  of  experiments  in  the  friction  of  air  in  a  tunnel  at 
Wicinisco.  A  pipe  of  wood  was  constructed  about  1400  feet  long  and 
4 


26 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 

no  square  inches  in  area.  The  current  of  air  was  produced  by  a 
vacuum  fan,  driven  by  a  steam  engine,  the  velocities  determined  by  an 
electrical  apparatus,  and  the  results  demonstrated 

1.  That  the  resistance  was  in  proportion  to  the  square  of  the 
velocity. 

2.  That  the  resistance  was  inversely  as  the  diameter. 

3.  That  the  power  required  to  pass  a  given  quantity  of  air  through 
pipes  of  different  diameters  was  inversely  as  the  fifth  powers  of  the 
diameters.  As  a  consequence  it  was  found  that  it  would  require  a 
million  times  more  power  to  pass  the  same  quantity  of  air  through  a  pipe 
one  foot  in  diameter,  than  would  be  required  if  the  pipe  were  10  feet. 

At  the  Mt.  Cenis  Tunnel  it  was  decided  to  use  compressed  air  as  a 
motor,  and  the  preparatory  experiments  were  made  at  government 
expense  by  a  commission  of  gentlemen  of  eminent  scientific  attain¬ 
ments,  consisting  of  Messrs.  DeNerache,  Giulio,  Minabeia,  Rura  and 
Sella. 

Special  experiments  were  instituted  on  long  lines  of  metallic  pipe, 
continued  by  rubber  hose,  and  observations  made  on  pressure  and 
velocity.  The  elastic  force  of  the  fluid  was  ascertained  at  the  com¬ 
mencement  and  end  of  the  pipe,  and  a  curved  traced  for  the  interpre¬ 
tation  of  the  results,  from  which  a  table  was  prepared,  giving  initial 
velocities  in  metres  per  second,  diameters  of  pipes  in  decimals  of  a 
metre,  and  friction  or  loss  of  tension  in  millimetres  of  a  column  of 
mercury. 

A  copy  of  the  report  of  this  commission  was  procured  for  me 
through  the  kindness  of  Professor  Gillespie ;  from  it  I  calculated  a 
table  in  which  pressures  were  expressed  in  pounds,  velocities  in  feet 
per  second,  and  lengths  in  miles. 

In  using  tables  for  the  friction  of  elastic  fluids  through  pipes  one 
peculiarity  is  observable.  With  dense  fluids,  such  as  water,  the  head 
is  an  important  element  in  calculating  the  loss  by  friction,  but  with 
elastic  fluids  the  initial  velocity  is  given,  and  the  head  is  not  a  neces¬ 
sary  datum  in  the  calculations  where  there  is  a  free  discharge ;  but 
when  there  is  back  pressure  it  would  seem  that  the  initial  density,  as 
also  the  initial  velocity,  must  be  considered. 

The  explanation  is  this :  Suppose  pressure  should  be  quadrupled, 
the  fluid  being  supposed  perfectly  elastic  would  be  quadrupled  in  den¬ 
sity,  and  the  power  required  to  move  it  at  a  given  velocity,  which 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


27 


measures  the  resistance,  would  be  quadrupled  also,  or  would  be  as  i  to 
4 ;  but  the  velocity  being  as  the  square  root  of  the  head  or  pressure, 
would  be  doubled  also  by  quadrupling  the  head  or  pressure,  and  would 
be  as  i  to  2,  and  the  resistance  would  be  as  (i)2 :  (£)2,  or  Hence, 
while  the  increase  of  density  would  quadruple  the  resistance,  the  reduc¬ 
tion  of  velocity  due  to  that  pressure  would  reduce  it  to  one-fourth,  or 
the  resistance  of  a  given  length  with  a  given  velocity  would  be  con¬ 
stant. 

This  conclusion  may  be  reached  by  another  process  of  reasoning : 
Where  a  fluid  is  discharged  through  a  long  pipe  the  pressure  at  the  com¬ 
mencement  is  the  head  in  the  reservoir ;  at  the  end  where  it  discharges 
it  is  nothing,  or  simply  the  head  due  to  the  velocity.  The  hypothenuse 
of  a  triangle,  of  which  the  base  represents  the  length  and  the  perpen¬ 
dicular  the  head,  will  be  the  hydraulic  gradient,  and  so  long  as  head 
divided  by  length  or  hydraulic  gradient  is  constant,  the  velocity  is  con¬ 
stant  and  the  discharge  also.  Now,  if  head  should  be  quadrupled, 
velocity  remaining  constant,  length  must  be  quadrupled  also,  and  head 
divided  by  length,  which  represents  the  friction  per  unit  of  length  will 
be  constant  also,  and  will  vary  in  the  same  pipe  with  the  square  of  the 
velocity. 

In  determining  the  resistance  of  elastic  fluids,  density  is  an  important 
element,  which  appears  sometimes  to  have  been  overlooked.  That  it 
is  important  will  be  obvious  from  the  consideration  that  the  power 
required  to  move  a  body  is  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of  the  body 
moved,  and  the  weight  is  in  proportion  to  density ;  if  density  should 
be  doubled  the  resistance  will  be  doubled,  and  if  reduced  the  resistance 
would  be  reduced  proportionately. 

Let  us  imagine  two  elastic  fluids  of  equal  height,  but  whose  densi¬ 
ties  compare  as  1  to  2.  As  the  heights  are  equal  the  velocities  of  dis¬ 
charge  will  be  equal.  On  a  line  as  above,  representing  a  unit  of  length, 
draw  a  perpendicular  1  and  complete  the  triangle ;  draw  a  second  per¬ 
pendicular  2  and  complete  the  second  triangle.  The  perpendiculars  at 
any  point  will  represent  the  pressure  at  that  point,  and  the  areas  of  the 
triangles  will  be  proportioned  to  the  total  resistance.  As  these  areas 
compare  as  1  to  2,  so  will  the  loss  by  friction  be  as  1  to  2,  or  as  the 
densities. 


28 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


DEMONSTRATION  OF  THE  LAW  OF  THE  DISCHARGE  OF  ELASTIC  FLUIDS 
THROUGH  LONG  PIPES. 

The  quantity  of  steam  discharged  through  a  pipe  of  a  given  length 
and  diameter  under  a  given  pressure,  and  the  losses  by  friction  and 
radiation,  are  questions  which  lie  at  the  very  foundation  of  the  success¬ 
ful  application  of  the  Holly  System,  and  without  which  it  will  be 
impossible  to  form  plans  and  prepare  estimates  for  the  supply  of  any 
given  district  with  confidence  that  mistakes  will  not  be  committed, 
that  the  plans  provided  will  not  prove  insufficient,  and  that  mains  will 
not  require  to  be  torn  up  or  duplicated  after  the  lesson  has  been  learned 
from  dearly  bought  experience  that  sound  theory  should  have  taught 
in  advance. 

As  it  has  been  found  impossible  to  procure  from  any  known  authors 
on  hydraulics  or  pneumatics  just  that  practical  information  that  will 
meet  the  requirements  of  the  present  investigations,  and  as  the  writer 
has  ventured  to  enunciate  a  fundamental  law  on  which  the  solution  of 
all  problems  relating  to  steam  transmission  must  depend,  and  which  is 
not  only  not  contained  in  books,  but  is  in  conflict  with  rules  given  by 
popular  authors,  no  apology  will  be  necessary  for  the  time  and  space 
devoted  to  a  demonstration  of  the  law  in  question.  This  law  may  be 
thus  enunciated. 

The  discharge  of  steam,  air  or  any  elastic  fluid,  under  pressure 
through  long  pipes  and  at  the  volume  due  to  atmospheric  tension,  is 
equal  to  the  water  discharge  under  like  conditions,  multiplied  by  the 
square  root  of  the  number  which  expresses  the  relative  density  at 
atmospheric  tension,  as  compared  with  water,  multiplied  also  by  the 
square  root  of  the  initial  pressure  in  atmospheres. 

For  example,  air  is  836  times  lighter  than  water  under  ordinary 
atmospheric  tension,  and  if  n— number  of  atmospheres  of  initial  pres¬ 
sure,  then  the  water  discharge,  as  determined  by  the  usual  formula, 
multiplied -\/83 6 =2  9  multiplied  by y/n,  will  give  the  discharge  of  air; 
and  if  the  discharge  of  steam  is  required  the  multiplier  will  beV1?12 
=  42  X  Vn. 

If,  then,  n  should  be  4  atmospheres  total,  including  atmospheric 
pressure,  the  difference  of  head  to  be  used  in  the  determination  of  the 
water  discharge  would  be  3  atmospheres,  and  water  discharge  X  42  X 
y\/~4- = water  discharge  X  84= discharge  of  steam. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


29 


In  like  manner,  if  the  total  pressure  should  be  9  atmospheres=i20 
pounds  indicated  pressure,  the  discharge  of  steam  would  be = water 
discharge  X  42  V  9  =  126  times  the  water  discharge  under  an  equal 
head. 

And,  in  general,  if  w=the  water  discharge  under  any  given  head, 
length  and  diameter  of  pipes,  d—  ratio  of  density  of  any  elastic  fluid, 
as  compared  with  water  and  at  the  volume  due  to  atmospheric  tension, 
and  n— number  of  atmospheres  of  initial  pressure,  then  will  the  dis¬ 
charge,  as  compared  with  water,  and  at  the  volume  due  to  atmospheric 
tension,  b e=wxVn  d. 


Let  A  B  represent  a  pipe  of  any  given  length,  say  one  mile,  and  A 
C  represent  the  pressure,  say  60  pounds.  The  discharge  of  water  at 
B,  in  cubic  feet  per  second,  is  given  by  the  formula : 

G =.07  6  2  <\/~d* 

*/=diameter  in  inches,  H=head  in  feet,  or  the  difference  in  head 
when  discharging  against  a  lower  pressure,  and  L= length  in  feet. 

If  A  C  =  6o  pounds,  the  head  of  water  would  be  60X  2.31  =  138.6 
feet,  and  the  discharge  with  a  constant  length  would  be  as^H,  or  as 
1 3  8. 6,  and  the  area  of  a  triangle  of  which  A  B  is  the  base  and 
V138.6  =  the  altitude,  would  be  proportionate  to  the  water  discharge — 

or  ABxV  138.6. 

Now  suppose  that  the  fluid  discharging  at  B  should  be  steam  instead 
of  water  under  60  pounds  indicated  pressure,  the  actual  pressure  would 
be  75  pounds,  the  number  of  atmospheres  5.  The  initial  density  five 
times  that  of  steam  under  atmospheric  pressure,  or  L1~=^^2,  and 
the  head  due  to  a  pressure  of  60  pounds=  138.6X342  =  47,401  feet. 

The  discharge  being  proportioned  to  the  square  root  of  the  head, 
would  be  as  ^138.6X342,  or  as  4/ 138.6  and  if  A  B  as  before 


30 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


=base  of  a  triangle,  and  47401  =  altitude,  the  discharges  being  as  the 
square  root  of  the  altitude,  will  be  as  the  area  of  a  triangle  whose  base 
is  A  B  and  altitude= ^47401  =  V  138.6 X  'v/I7I2~^~V5- 

The  water  discharges  and  steam  discharges  being  as  the  areas  of 
these  triangles  having  the  common  base  A  B,  will  compare,  !$%.(> 
is  to  V13  8. 6^1712  =  or  if  the  water  discharge  be  taken  as  unity, 

then  as  1  is  to  V 1 7 1 2  Vs* 

But  this  expression  gives  the  discharge  under  initial  density,  and  if 
the  discharge  is  required  at  atmospheric  tension,  which  is  always  desir¬ 
able  for  the  sake  of  uniformity,  the  result  must  be  multiplied  by  5,  and 
the  expression  becomes  V  1712X5.  =  V 5  =  Vi7I2Xa/5?  as  previously 
stated,  or  generally  as  d. 

The  head  due  to  velocity  has  not  been  considered,  as  in  questions 
relating  to  discharges  through  long  pipes,  it  is  so  insignificant  as  com¬ 
pared  with  the  head  due  to  friction,  that  it  may  safely  be  neglected.  It 
would  not  exceed,  generally,  a  small  fraction  of  a  pound ;  but  if  great 

v^ 

accuracy  is  desired  the  head,  in  feet,  is  readily  determined,  and  is  — 

64 

in  which  z/=initial  velocity,  and  the  head  divided  by  the  number  of 
feet  at  initial  density  required  to  make  one  pound,  will  give  the  pres¬ 
sure  in  pounds  required  for  this  velocity  v ,  which  is  in  addition  to 
friction.  Suppose  the  length  of  the  pipe  should  be  increased,  and 
draw  a  line  from  D  to  the  end  of  the  pipe,  intersecting  the  line  n  B  at 
P.  The  triangle  D  n  P  will  be  cut  off,  the  perpendiculars,  of  which 
will  represent  the  loss  of  head  by  friction,  and  the  square  root  of  the 
area,  the  discharge  in  cubic  feet,  and  the  same  rule  holds  good  if  the 
length  should  be  less  than  A  B. 

Importa?it  Observation. — Although  almost  self-evident  yet,  as  very 
erroneous  ideas  seem  to  have  been  entertained  in  regard  to  the  friction 
of  pipes,  it  is  necessary  to  state,  emphatically,  that  in  the  discharge  of 
fluids  through  pipes — whether  the  fluids  be  elastic  or  non-elastic — the 
whole  of  the  head,  less  that  due  to  velocity  is  absorbed  by  friction ; 
and  where  there  is  a  free  discharge  there  is  no  pressure  whatever  at  the 
open  end  of  the  pipe. 

Referring  again  to  the  diagram,  if  A  B  is  a  pipe  a  mile  long  and  dis¬ 
charges  water,  steam  or  air  freely  at  B  under  an  initial  pressure  at  A= 
60  pounds,  there  will  be  no  indicated  pressure  whatever  at  B  unless  the 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


31 


discharge  be  throttled,  and  the  reduction  of  pressure  from  A  to  B  will 
follow  the  line  of  the  hypothenuse,  and  the  pressure  at  any  point  will 
be  represented  by  the  perpendiculars.  If,  for  example,  the  initial  pres¬ 
sure  be  represented  by  A  D,  the  pressure  at  B  will  be  <?,  the  total  loss 
of  pressure  by  friction  in  the  distance  A  B  will  be  60  pounds.  At  any 
point  P  the  pressure  will  be  represented  by  the  perpendicular  O  P,  and 
the  loss  of  pressure  by  O  m . 

But  if  the  pipe  is  not  discharging  freely  at  B,  the  conditions  will  be 
very  materially  changed,  and  a  large  percentage  of  the  fluid  may  be 
drawn  off  at  intermediate  points  without  affecting  very  seriously  the 
pressure  at  B,  due  to  the  initial  head  if  the  pipe  were  closed. 

It  has  been  asserted  as  the  result  of  observation  that  at  Detroit  a 
mile  of  pipe  6  inches  in  diameter  was  laid,  and  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  a  large  number  of  consumers  were  using  steam  at  interme¬ 
diate  points,  the  pressure  at  the  boiler  and  at  the  end  was  precisely  the 
same  ;  and  the  inference  deduced  therefrom  was  that  steam  can  be 
carried  almost  any  distance  with  a  loss  of  power  that  is  scarcely 
appreciable. 

This  is  a  great  mistake,  and  it  would  be  a  fatal  error  if  works  were 
planned  and  constructed  with  any  such  ideas.  If  the  observed  pres¬ 
sures  at  the  two  ends  of  the  pipe  at  Detroit  were  the  same,  it  resulted 
from  two  causes :  First,  a  want  of  sensitiveness  in  the  gauges,  which 
often  do  not  indicate  within  ten  pounds  of  the  correct  pressure  ;  and 
second,  the  intermediate  consumers  were  drawing  off  a  small  percentage 
of  the  capacity  of  the  pipe. 

1  will  endeavor  to  elucidate  this  subject  by  a  simple  and  practical 
illustration : 

Suppose  a  pipe  be  taken  6  inches  diameter,  one  mile  long,  and  6o 
pounds  initial  pressure.  The  water  discharge  will  be  i.i  cubic  feet 
and  the  steam  discharge=i.i\/i7i2X  V5  =  i°2  cubic  feet  of  steam 
per  second. 

A  horse-power  is  one  cubic  foot  of  water  evaporated  per  hour,  and 
one  cubic  foot  of  waters  1712  cubic  feet  of  steam.  Therefore,  1 7 1 2-f- 
3  600 =.47  2  cubic  foot  per  second = one  horse-power. 

And  102-^.472  =  216  horse-power = maximum  capacity  of  1  mile  of 
6-inch  pipe  under  60  pounds  pressure. 

But  suppose  the  end  B  of  the  pipe  is  closed,  and  at  the  point  P=£ 


32 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT  S  REPORT. 


of  a  mile  from  A,  one-fourth  of  the  whole  capacity  of  the  pipe  is 
drawn  off,  how  will  the  pressure  at  B  be  affected  ? 

If  discharging  freely  at  B,  the  pressure  at  P,  at  J  A  B,  will  be  f  of 
60  pounds,  or  45  pounds,  and  the  loss  of  pressure  will  be  represented 
by  O  m— 15  pounds.  But  if  the  end  B  is  closed,  and  the  discharge  at 
P  is  J  capacity  of  pipe,  then  the  velocity  from  A  to  P  will  be  reduced 
to  and  the  friction,  which  is  as  the  square  of  the  velocity  to  (J)2  = 
T*T,  and  the  loss  of  head  from  taking  off  25  per  cent,  of  the  whole 
capacity  of  the  pipe  at  P,  would  be  i5XTV=-fii  °f  one  pound,  and 
the  pressure  at  B  would  be  59^  pounds  as  compared  with  an  initial 
pressure  of  60  pounds. 

If  one-half  the  whole  capacity  of  the  pipe  should  be  drawn  off  at 
the  middle  point,  or  if  there  should  be  an  equivalent  thereto  discharged 
the  reduction  of  pressure  at  the  extreme  end,  instead  of  being  30 
pounds,  or  one  half,  would  be  620  x(^)2  =  7i  pounds,  and  the  pressure 
remaining  would  be  52^  pounds. 

These  results,  deduced  from  purely  theoretical  considerations,  seem 
to  be  entirely  consistent  and  reasonable,  but  it  is  important  to  test 
them  by  actual  and  careful  experiments. 

The  experiments  of  Mr.  Holly  and  Mr.  Gaskill  at  Lockport  were 
made  under  circumstances  peculiarly  favorable  to  accuracy.  A  large 
engine  cylinder  was  used  as  a  meter ;  the  contents,  including  clearance, 
were  8.64  cubic  feet;  the  number  of  cylinders  discharged  per  minute, 
66  ;  cubic  feet  per  minute,  570;  distance  from  boiler  equivalent  to  168 
feet  of  2 -inch  pipe  in  frictional  resistance;  boiler  pressure,  50  pounds; 
cylinder  pressure,  30  pounds;  loss  by  friction,  20  pounds. 

From  these  data  let  us  determine  the  friction  in  one  mile  of  6-inch 
pipe  under  a  head  or  pressure  of  60  pounds. 

If  Mr.  Holly  gets  a  discharge  of  570  cubic  feet  per  minute  in  a  pipe 
2  inches  diameter  and  168  feet  long,  the  discharge  per  second  will  be 
570-^60=9.5,  under  total  initial  pressure  of  50+15  =  65  pounds;  as 
the  discharge  is  in  proportion  to  square  root  of  length,  the  discharge  in 
one  mile  =9.5  X  V3W0-—  *-78  cubic  feet. 

If  the  discharge  is  1.78  cubic  feet  in  a  2-inch  pipe,  the  discharge 
being  as  the  square  root  of  the  fifth  power  of  the  diameter,  it  will  be 
in  a  6-inch  pipe  1.78X  15.6  =  27.76.  If  the  discharge  be  27.76,  under 
30  pounds,  and  under  initial  pressure  of  50  pounds,  the  discharge  at 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


33 


atmospheric  tension  under  initial  pressure  of  60  pounds,  would  be 
27.46  \/^=9i.6  cubic  feet  per  second,  as  deduced  from  expe¬ 

riment  of  Messrs.  Holly  and  Gaskill  through  a  pipe  obstructed  by  sev¬ 
eral  bends. 

We  will  now  examine  what  should  have  been  the  discharge  through 
a  pipe  one  mile  long,  six  inches  diameter,  under  60  pounds  head  as 
deduced  from  the  theoretical  law  heretofore  enunciated. 

The  water  discharge  is  1.1  cubic  feet  per  second,  and  1.1  X  V1712 
X^=I02,  the  theoretical  discharge,  and  the  difference,  10.6  is 
fully  explained  by  the  eight  bends  in  the  pipe  through  which  the  steam 
was  transmitted  in  the  experiment. 

This  result  giving  a  greater  theoretical  than  actual  discharge,  is  the 
more  gratifying  because  it  has  generally  been  believed  that  theory  was 
unreliable,  and  that  the  actual  results  as  deduced  from  observation  and 
experiment  were  far  in  excess  of  the  capacity  and  pressure  as  given  by 
the  books. 

This  is  true,  because  in  stating  a  rule  the  books  did  not  always  state 
the  conditions  under  which  it  was  applicable,  as  for  example  the  rule 
that  the  discharge  of  air  is  equal  to  30 J  times  the  discharge  of  water 
under  like  conditions,  is  true  only  at  one  initial  pressure,  and  that  a 
very  low  one,  while  under  high  pressures  the  error  from  its  application 
may  be  several  hundred  per  cent. 

If  theory  is  not  sustained  by  observation  and  experiment,  it  only 
proves  that  the  theory  is  defective,  and  that  the  true  law  has  not  been 
discovered  ;  but  that  there  are  natural  laws  is  unquestionable,  and  these 
laws,  as  applicable  to  pneumatics,  are  as  immutable  as  those  of 
gravity. 

Practical  men  proceeding  without  a  knowledge  of  these  laws,  are 
like  mariners  at  sea  without  chart  or  compass. 

I  propose  to  show  that  the  law  of  discharge  that  has  been  here  given 
is  further  verified  by  the  careful  and  elaborate  experiments  made  at  the 
Mt.  Cenis  tunnel. 


5 


34 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’s  REPORT. 


FRICTION  OF  AIR  IN  PIPES  AS  DETERMINED  FROM  THE  EXPERIMENTS 
AT  THE  MT.  CENIS  TUNNEL. 

The  scientific  commission,  appointed  to  conduct  these  experiments, 
reported  the  following  table  as  a  condensation  of  their  results : 

Loss  of  tension  per  1000  metres  of  pipe  expressed  in  millimetres  of  a  column  of  mercury. 


Velocity  of  air  at  the  en¬ 
trance  of  the  pipe,  in 
metres,  per  second. 

Diameter  of  pipes  in  the  clear,  in  decimals  of  a  metre. 

O.IO 

o-i.5 

0.20 

0.25 

0.30 

°*35 

I 

6 

4 

3 

3 

2 

2 

2 

26 

18 

I3 

11 

9 

8 

3 

62 

42 

3i 

25 

21 

18 

4 

108 

72 

54 

44 

36 

3i 

5 

167 

112 

84 

67 

56 

48 

6 

2  33 

_ 1 56 

117 

94 

78 

67 

An  inspection  verifies  these  laws : 

1.  Friction  inversely  as  diameters. 

2.  Friction  directly  as  squares  of  velocities. 

To  which  may  be  added  two  other  laws  : 

3.  Friction  directly  as  the  length. 

4.  Friction  directly  as  the  density. 

In  comparison  with  other  results  the  friction  of  1  mile  of  6-inch  pipe 
with  initial  velocity,  20  feet  will  be  deduced  from  this  table. 

Assume  any  number,  say  a  pipe  .2  of  a  metre  diameter  and  5  metres 
velocity,  the  loss  in  millimetres  of  mercury  is  84.2  of  a  metres 7.874 
inches;  5  metres  per  second  =16.4  feet;  1000  metres =3 281  feet;  1 
millimetre =.03 93 7  inches. 


Then  84  X 


7.874  202  03937  5280 


x76Vx 


X 3281  ~ 5,1  Pounds>  as  tlle  resist- 


6  10.4“  2 

ance  of  air,  and  for  steam  2.5  pounds  per  mile,  assuming  loss  of  tension 
to  be  in  proportion  to  density. 

We  will  now  apply  the  law  as  deduced  from  the  hydraulic  discharge : 
The  discharge  of  water  under  a  head  of  60  pounds,  length  1  mile 
and  diameter  6  inches,  is  1.1  cubic  feet  per  second. 

Air  is  836  times  lighter  than  water.  60  pounds 5  atmos¬ 
pheres;  1. 1  X  V836  X  V^5  =  67.87  cubic  feet  per  second,  and  at  initial 
density=67. 87^-5  =  13.57  cubic  feet,  and  initial  velocity  68  feet  per 
second,  nearly. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


35 


Now,  if  the  loss  of  tension  with  initial  velocity  of  68  feet  be  60 


20 


pounds,  the  loss  with  velocity  of  20  feet  will  be  60X^2= 5.1  pounds. 


This  is  precisely  the  loss  of  tension  in  one  mile  of  6-inch  pipe  dis¬ 
charging  air  under  an  initial  velocity  of  20  feet  per  second,  as  deduced 
from  the  experiments  of  the  Mt.  Cenis  Tunnel  commissioners. 

The  law  of  discharge,  above  stated,  seems  to  be  completely  verified 
and  established,  both  by  the  experiment  in  Europe  and  those  made  by 
Mr.  Holly  at  Lockport  with  the  engine  metre,  and  I  think  can  be  safely 
relied  upon  as  a  basis  of  calculation  of  capacity  of  mains  and  losses  by 
friction  in  transmission. 

The  following  table  will  be  convenient,  giving  the  discharge  of  steam 
at  the  volume  of  atmospheric  tension,  the  corresponding  water  discharge 
under  same  head,  diameter  and  length  being  taken  as  unity,  and  pres¬ 
sures  varying  by  half  atmospheres  from  1  to  10: 


Pressure 

in 

Atmospheres. 


Initial 

Densities. 


Volume 

of 

Discharge. 


1  1712  41.4 

4  .  1141  5°-7 

2  856  58.6 

.  685  65.5 


3 

si 

4 

Ari 

5 

5* 

6 

6i 

7 

7i 

8 

9 

9i 

10 


571  7Ir7 

489  .  77.3 

428  82.8 

381  . *  88.2 

342  . .  •> .  92-5 

31 1  . / .  97-3 

285  101.4 

263  . . .  105.9 

245  .  109.6 

228  113.2 

214  117.0 

201  120.5 

190  124.1 

180  127.7 

171  130.8 


TABLE  OF  THOMAS  BOX. 

In  the  valuable  work  on  heat  by  Thomas  Box,  is  given  a  table  for 
the  friction  of  air,  steam  and  gas  in  long  pipes.  The  difference  in 


36 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’s  REPORT. 


density  is  not  recognized  in  this  table,  but  it  was  probably  intended 
for  air,  as  this  fluid  was  more  particularly  under  discussion.  Under 
this  hypothesis,  the  results  will  be  compared  with  our  assumed  standard 
of  velocity,  20  feet,  length  one  mile,  diameter  six  inches. 

The  table  gives  the  head  to  overcome  friction  with  velocity  of  10 
cubic  feet  per  minute  through  a  two-inch  pipe  for  a  distance  of  one  yard 
=.000162  pounds. 

Area  of  2-inch  pipe  =3.1416  and  1  o X  — *^6o~- 77—  velocity  in 
feet  per  second. 

.000162  X  1760=. 2 85 1 20= friction  per  mile  in  2-inch  pipe. 

.285120X1 =.095o4=pounds  per  mile  friction  in  6-inch  pipe,  veloc¬ 
ity  .77. 


.09504X  —3=6.3= friction  of  air  in  a  6-inch  pipe  for  a  distance  of 


one  mile  and  velocity  20  feet  per  second. 

The  friction  of  steam  at  atmospheric  density  should  by  the  same 
rule  be  3.15  pounds,  which  is  in  excess  of  the  results  deduced  from 
formula,  from  the  Mt.  Cenis  experiment,  and  from  other  experiments. 


FORMULA  OF  WEISBACH. 


Weisbach  gives  the  following  formula  for  the  friction  of  air  through 
long  pipes : 

l  v ® 

/=. 0256  X -7 X —  in  which 
y  d  2g 

/=length  in  feet; 

d—  diameter  in  feet; 

z/=velocity  in  feet  per  second ; 

/=  height  of  a  column  of  air  equal  to  the  resistance  by  friction. 

To  test  this  formula,  assume  length  =1  mile,  diameter  6  inches  or 
.5  of  afoot,  andz/=2o  feet.  Then  friction  of  one  mile  represented 

by  a  column  of  air  equals  .0256  =1700  feet. 

•5  64 

But  1700  feet  of  air,  if  at  atmospheric  tension,  would  be  equivalent 
to  about  two  feet  of  water,  weighing  less  than  one  pound,  while  from 
other  data,  both  theoretical  and  experimental,  it  is  known  that  the 
friction  is  five  pounds.  If  the  initial,  instead  of  the  terminal  density 
is  intended  to  be  used,  the  difficulty  is  that  there  is  no  way  given  for 
the  determination  of  this  density,  and  the  formula,  even  if  correct,  is 
practically  useless. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


37 


So  also  the  rule  of  the  engineer’s  pocket-books,  that  the  discharge 
of  air  is  30^  times  the  discharge  of  water  under  like  conditions,  is 
entirely  fallacious.  It  can  be  true  only  at  one  pressure,  and  that  a 
very  low  one,  and  it  fails  to  recognize  the  varying  densities  of  elastic 
fluids  under  varying  pressures,  without  which  no  rule  can  be  reliable. 


PIPES  OF  EQUIVALENT  RESISTANCES. 

When  a  line  of  pipe  consists  of  portions  whose  diameters  are  not 
uniform,  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  correction  by  substituting  the  length 
of  pipe  of  uniform  diameter  that  would  give  an  equivalent  resistance. 

It  has  been  stated  that  where  quantity  is  constant  and  diameter  varia¬ 
ble  the  friction  is  inversely  as  the  fifth  power  of  the  diameter. 

If  the  friction  in  one  mile  or  one  unit  of  length  of  one-inch  pipe  be 
taken  as  unity,  the  number  of  miles  of  pipe  of  any  other  diameter  will 
be  given  by  the  following  table,  giving  equal  resistance : 


1  inch  pipe 

4  “ 

2  “ 

4  “ 


3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

1 1 

12 


u 

u 


7.5 

32. 

97.65 

243. 

1024. 

3125. 

7776. 

16807. 

32768. 

59049. 

IOOOOO. 

161051. 

248832. 


FORMULA  FOR  CALCULATING  TABLES  OF  LOSS  OF  HEAD  BY  FRICTION. 

It  has  been  seen  that  in  the  transmission  of  steam  through  a  pipe 
six  inches  in  diameter  and  one  mile  long  the  loss  by  friction  was  2.5 
pounds,  with  an  initial  velocity  of  20  feet  per  second. 

For  any  other  length  we  have  these  laws : 

1.  The  friction  is  as  the  length. 

2.  The  friction  is  inversely  as  the  diameter. 

3.  The  friction  is  as  the  square  of  the  velocity. 

4.  The  friction  is  as  the  density. 


38 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT's  REPORT. 


As  a  basis  of  calculation,  it  will  be  convenient  to  determine  the  fric¬ 
tion  of  steam  in  i  mile  of  i-inch  pipe,  with  an  initial  velocity  of  one 
foot  per  second. 

The  friction  in  i  mile  of  6-inch  pipe,  and  initial  velocity  20,  being 
2.5  pounds  with  steam,  the  friction  in  a  pipe  1  inch  in  diameter  will 
be  2.5x6  =  15  pounds  under  the  same  velocity;  and  the  friction  with  a 
velocity  of  20  feet  per  second  being  15  pounds,  the  friction  with  a 

velocity  of  one  foot  per  second  will  be  15  X -^=.0375. 

For  any  other  diameter  or  velocity  the  expression  becomes : 

Friction  per  mile =.03  7  5  X^-. 

The  initial  velocity  must  be  determined  from  the  discharge,  and  the 
terminal  discharge,  as  previously  stated,  is = water  discharge  X  a/i  7 1 2 
xVn,  in  which  n— the  atmospheres  of  pressure.  This  discharge  divi¬ 
ded  by  n  gives  discharge  at  initial  density,  and  the  discharge  at  initial 
density  in  cubic  feet  divided  by  the  area  in  square  feet  will  be  initial 
velocity. 

TABLE  OF  LOSS  BY  FRICTION  FOR  STEAM  IN  POUNDS  PER  SQUARE  INCH 
FOR  ONE  MILE  OF  PIPE,  WITH  INITIAL  VELOCITIES  AS  GIVEN  IN  THE 
FIRST  COLUMN  IN  FEET  PER  SECOND,  AND  DIAMETER  OF  PIPES  FROM 
ONE  TO  1 2  INCHES. 


For  any  other  diameters  or  velocities  observe: 


1.  The  friction  is  as  the  square  of  the  velocity. 

2.  The  friction  is  inversely  as  the  diameter. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


39 


3.  The  friction  is  directly  as  the  length. 

4.  The  friction  is  directly  as  the  density. 

CAPACITY  OF  MAINS  AND  VELOCITY  OF  STEAM. 

The  discussions  in  the  preceding  pages  will  indicate  a  simple  man¬ 
ner  of  obtaining  the  discharge  of  any  elastic  fluid  through  pipes,  and,  as 
a  consequence,  its  velocity  when  the  diameter  is  known.  It  is  only  nec¬ 
essary  to  calculate  the  water  discharge  under  the  same  length,  diameter 
and  pressure,  and  multiply  the  result  by  the  square  root  of  the  number 
expressing  the  relative  density,  multiplied  by  the  square  root  of  the 
number  of  atmospheres  of  initial  pressure. 

The  limit  of  velocity  is  found  in  the  discharge  through  an  orifice,  or 
short  pipe  of  not  more  than  two  diameters,  and  appears  from  the 
experiments  of  Messrs.  Holly  and  Gaskill  to  attain  its  maximum  at 
about  1000  feet  per  second,  between  which  and  zero  the  velocity  will 
vary  with  pressure,  diameter  and  length. 

Assuming  a  maximum  effective  pressure  of  60  pounds  per  square 
inch  in  the  mains,  the  water  discharge  in  a  six-inch  pipe  100  feet  long 

will  be,  per  second:  cubic  feet=. 0762V 65X6^)’31  — 7.85  cubic  feet, 
and  7.85  X  a/ T700X  ^~s  =  7.85  X 41.3  X  2.24=726  cubic  feet,  and  726 
-4-. 2 X 5  =  726= initial  velocity  of  the  steam  on  entering  the  pipe. 

If  the  length  of  pipe  were  1000  feet  the  discharge  and  the  velocity 
would  be  reduced  in  proportion  or  ^=229  feet  per  second. 

The  general  formula  for  the  discharge  of  steam  is,  in  cubic  feet  per 
second,  at  atmospheric  density. 

C-. 0762  v^Xa/Jx 41-3  xV/;  or  r=3i.47A/V5X  a/^X  a//,  in  * 
which  d—  diameter  in  inches. 

H=head,  in  feet,  of  water. 

L= length  in  feet. 

/= density  in  atmospheres. 

If  it  be  found  most  convenient  to  express  the  pressure  in  pounds, 
instead  of  feet,  of  water,  the  constant  31.47  will  become  47.73,  and  H 
will  then  represent  pounds  of  effective  pressure. 

The  following  table,  calculated  from  the  above  formula,  will  facilitate 
computations  on  the  capacity  of  mains  for  the  transmission  of  steam, 
and  the  same  table  may  be  used  for  air  by  multiplying  byA/^=-~?-— 

J,  nearly: 


40 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


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3830 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


41 


For  any  other  length  than  one  hundred  feet,  divide  the  numbers  in 
the  table  by  the  square  root  of  the  length  in  feet,  and  multiply  by  ten. 

For  discharges  at  initial  densities,  divide  the  numbers  in  the  table  by 
the  pressures  in  atmospheres. 

For  initial  velocities,  divide  the  discharge  at  initial  density  by  area  in 
square  feet,  the  quotient  will  give  feet  per  second. 

LOSS  OF  STEAM  BY  CONDENSATION. 

The  only  data  on  this  subject  applicable  to  the  solution  of  the  prac¬ 
tical  and  economical  questions  presented  for  our  consideration  are 
derived  from  the  experiments  and  observations  of  Mr.  Birdsill  Holly. 
To  him  is  due  not  only  the  credit  of  the  grand  conception  of  utilizing 
steam  at  great  distances  from  the  point  of  generation,  but  also  of  the 
details  of  protection  and  the  mechanical  contrivances  by  which  such 
utilization  became  possible. 

Preparatory  to  any  discussion  of  this  portion  of  the  subject,  a  state¬ 
ment  of  some  of  the  experiments,  which  furnish  necessary  data,  will  be 
given,  and  they  will  be  numbered  consecutively  for  convenience  of 
reference  : 

Experiment  No.  1. 

Forty  feet  of  6-inch  pipe,  400  feet  of  4-inch  pipe  and  1,600  feet  of 
3-inch  pipe  were  connected ;  steam  blown  through  to  expel  the  air ; 
the  end  closed ;  60  pounds  steam  at  boiler,  admitted  until  pipe  was 
filled  ;  then  shut  off  and  allowed  to  cool  down  to  the  temperature  of  the 
atmosphere.  The  pipes  were  protected  as  hereinbefore  described. 

The  time  required  to  condense  the  four  atmospheres  was  as  follows : 

From  60  to  45  pounds .  18  minutes. 

“  45  to  30  “  28  “ 

“  30  to  15  “  40  “ 

“  15  to  atmosphere .  54  “ 

Experiment  No.  2. 

A  pipe  1,600  feet  long  and  3  inches  diameter  was  laid  on  a  descend¬ 
ing  grade  of  20  feet  in  the  1,600.  The  lower  end  was  provided  with  a 
trap,  which  permitted  water,  but  not  steam,  to  escape.  The  pressure 
was  nearly  constant  at  both  ends  of  the  pipe — about  20  pounds.  The 
condensation  water,  accurately  weighed,  was  82  pounds  per  hour,  rep- 
6 


42 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


resenting  9  pounds  of  coal  or  2J  per  cent.  The  duration  of  the 
experiment  was  12  hours.  The  condensed  water  31.2  cubic  feet  in 
24  hours. 

Experiment  No.  3. 


Test  on  condensation  from  radiators.  Square  feet  of  radiating  sur¬ 
face,  40. 

The  water  from  the  condensed  steam  per  hour  was : 


At  atmospheric  pressure .  13.25  pounds. 

“  10  pounds  “  i7-25  “ 

“15  “  “  18.00  “ 

“25  “  “  20.25 


Previous  tests  indicated  that  condensation  dbubled  with  an  increase 
of  30  pounds  pressure.  Tests,  at  different  times,  did  not  give  uniform 
results. 


ADDITIONAL  DATA  DERIVED  FROM  OBSERVATION  AND  EXPERIMENT. 

Experiment  No.  4* 

One  cubic  foot  of  steam  is  allowed  to  heat  one  cubic  foot  of  space 
for  16  hours  per  day. 

Experiment  No.  5. 

A  test  made  in  the  winter  with  32  pounds  pressure,  instead  of  25, 
increased  loss  by  condensation  in  3-inch  pipe,  10  per  cent. 

Experiment  No.  6. 

The  loss  from  condensation  alone  in  small  steam  boilers,  used  for 
heating  purposes,  is  from  40  to  60  pounds  of  coal  per  day,  to  hold  10 
pounds  of  steam,  and  not  draw  any  out.  Proved  by  careful  tests. 

Experiment  No.  7. 

The  evaporation  of  the  small  boilers  for  heating  purposes  is  only 
four  pounds  of  water  per  pound  of  coal. 

Experiment  No.  8. — Amount  of  Radiator  Surface  required  for  heating. 

One  square  foot  of  steam  radiator  surface  to  100  cubic  feet  of  space 
in  well  protected  situations. 

One  square  foot  of  radiator  to  60  cubic  feet  in  exposed  situations. 

One  square  foot  of  radiator  to  250  cubic  feet  in  large  churches  and 
similar  buildings. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


43 


Experiment  No.  9. 

Steam  through  coil  heating  water,  communicates  335  units  of  heat 
per  square  foot  per  hour  for  each  degree  of  Fahrenheit. 

Experiment  No.  10. 

The  indirect  for  heating  air  in  basement,  contains  an  upper  and  a 
lower  coil  of  inch  pipe,  each  of  which  requires  3^  lineal  feet  for  each 
'150  cubic  feet  in  the  building  which  it  ventilates  and  warms. 

DISCUSSION  OF  EXPERIMENTS. 

No.  i  gives  the  relative  time  of  cooling  from  four  atmospheres.  The 
temperature  at  a  pressure  of  four  atmospheres,  (60  pounds  indicated,) 
^307°;  at  three  atmospheres,  2940;  at  two  atmospheres,  2750;  and 
at  one  atmosphere,  250°. 

A  cubic  foot  of  water  converted  into  steam  contains  6 2. 5X1172  = 
73250  units,  and  73250-4-1728  =  42  units  of  heat  in  one  cubic  foot  of 
steam  at  2120.  If  five  cubic  feet  be  compressed  into  one,  the  con¬ 
tained  units  will  be  42  X  5  =  2 10. 

The  first  42  units  was  condensed  in  18  minutes,  =2.33  per  minute. 


The  2d  “ 

a 

u 

28 

a 

I.50 

a 

The  3d  “ 

ll 

it 

40 

a 

I.05 

a 

The  4th  “ 

u 

a 

54 

a 

O.80 

u 

These  numbers  are  in  the  ratio  of  100,  13 1,  187,  291. 

The  differences  which  express  the  loss  of  units  are  31,  56,  104,  or 
nearly  twice  as  many  heat  units  are  lost  in  a  given  time  under  a  pres¬ 
sure  of  60  pounds  and  temperature  307  °,  as  under  45  pounds  and 

O 

294  . 

But  the  quantity  discharged,  or  the  capacity  for  transmission,  varying 
as  the  square  root  of  the  pressures,  is  as  the  numbers  11.77  at  60 
pounds,  10.19  at  45  pounds,  8.33  at  30  pounds,  and  5.9  at  15  pounds, 
and  the  differences  in  heat  units  at  these  pressures  will  be  represented 
by 

5.9X25o°  =  i475. 

8.33X  275°  =  229I. 

10.19X  294°  =  2996. 
h.77X3o7°=36i3- 

Or  in  proportion  as  100,  155,  203,  244. 


44 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’s  REPORT. 


While  therefore  pressures  of  15,  30,  45,  and  60  pounds  result  in 
losses  of  heat  units  represented  by  100,  13 1,  187,  291,  the  capacity 
for  carrying  heat  units  increases  as  100,  155,  203,  244.  At  60  pounds 
it  appears  that  the  increase  of  loss  by  radiation  is  somewhat  greater 
than  the  increased  capacity  for  transmission  of  heat  units,  which  would 
seem  to  indicate  that  a  pressure  of  60  pounds  is  a  proper  economic 
limit. 

To  determine  from  Experiment  No.  1  the  percentage  of  loss. 

Suppose  the  steam  to  be  transmitted  to  a  distance  of  1  mile  through 
a  three-inch  pipe,  to  the  limit  of  its  capacity.  The  temperature  of  60 
pound  steam  is  307  °,  and  the  loss  per  cubic  foot  of  steam  per  minute 
has  been  given  at  this  temperature  as  2.33  units. 

A  cubic  foot  at  atmospheric  density  would  occupy  20  feet  in  length, 
and  at  the  density  of  five  atmospheres,  four  feet  in  length. 

The  cubic  feet  in  one  mile  of  three-inch  pipe  would  be  5280-^4= 
1320,  and  the  heat  units  lost  by  cooling  would  be  1320X 2.33  =  3080. 

The  capacity  of  a  three-inch  pipe  one  mile  under  60  pounds  pres¬ 
sure  discharging  at  atmospheric  density  is  .0762  Xa/  3s  X  V60  X  2.3 1  -4- 
V5280  X  X  15.6 X  1  r. 7  -5-  72.7X41*3X2.24=20 

cubic  feet  per  second,  or  1200  cubic  feet  per  minute  at  atmospheric 
density,  equivalent  to  240  cubic  feet  under  five  atmospheres.  As  one 
cubic  foot  occupies  a  space  of  four  feet,  240  cubic  feet  would  occupy 
a  space  of  240X4—960  feet,  and  5280-^960=5.5  minutes  for  the 
time  of  passage  one  mile. 

Now  if  one  cubic  foot  loses  2.33  units  of  heat  per  minute,  240  cubic 
feet  X  5.5  minutes  X  2.33  =  3080  units  loss  per  mile  per  minute  in  the 
three-inch  pipe. 

But  the  capacity  being  1200  cubic  feet  per  minute,  1200X42  = 
50400  units,  and  the  loss  is  therefore  6  per  cent,  per  mile  in  a  three- 
inch  pipe,  nearly. 

The  capacity  of  a  six-inch  pipe  as  compared  to  a  three-inch  pipe  is 
5.66  to  one,  and  its  radiating  surface  two  to  one.  The  proportionate 
condensation  in  a  six-inch  pipe  should  be  2.1  per  cent.,  and  in  a  12- 
inch  pipe  about  one  per  cent. 


Discussion  of  Experiment  No.  2. 

As  the  1600  feet  of  pipe  were  laid  on  a  descending  grade,  the  water 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


45 


of  condensation,  82  pounds  per  hour,  should  represent  accurately  the 
number  of  heat  units  lost  by  condensation. 

The  pressure  being  20  pounds  at  both  ends,  the  temperature  was 
228°. 

The  heat  units  in  each  pound  of  steam  above  2 12°  =  960. 

The  heat  units  lost  in  82  pounds  per  hour  condensed,  were  82X960 
=  78720,  and  per  minute  1312.  The  capacity  of  a  three-inch  pipe 
1600  feet  long  per  minute  in  steam  at  20  pounds  pressure  is  in  cubic 

feet  at  atmospheric  tension  .0762  X  V3  5  X  —  X4i-3X6oX 
=  765  cubic  feet  per  minute. 

62.5-4-1700X765  =  28  pounds.  28X966  =  27044  heat  units  per 
minute  transported  through  the  three-inch  pipe,  and  as  1312  units  were 
lost  per  minute,  the  percentage  of  loss  in  1600  feet  of  three-inch  pipe 
would  be  4.8.  As  compared  with  one  mile  of  six-inch  pipe  we  would 
have  relative  capacity  under  equal  pressure  1  to  5.66;  relative  radiat¬ 
ing  surface  2  to  1.  Then  4.8  Xf  X^-,^  Xff$£=5.5  per  cent,  for  con¬ 
densation  in  one  mile  of  6-inch  pipe  as  against  2.1  per  cent,  deduced 
from  experiment  No.  1. 

In  a  1 2-inch  pipe,  as  compared  with  a  six-inch  pipe,  the  capacity  is 
as  499  to  88,  and  the  radiating  surface  as  2  to  1.  The  percentage  of 
loss  in  a  12-inch  main  should  therefore  be  1.8,  if  worked  to  its  capacity. 

• 

Experiment  No.  3. 

Forty  square  feet  of  radiating  surface  condensed,  say  15  pounds  of  water 
in  an  hour,  at  ordinary  pressure  of  5  to  10  pounds  in  radiator;  15 
pounds  of  water  in  steam  contain  above  2 120;  15X966  =  14490  units 
of  heat =1^=362  units  per  hour  per  square  foot  of  radiator. 

The  specific  heat  of  air,  as  compared  with  water,  is  0.2377. 

To  raise  1  pound  of  air  from  320  to  yo°=$S°,  will  require  0.2377  X 
38=9  units. 

One  pound  of  air=i3  cubic  feet  at  6o°. 

One  square  foot  radiating  surface  would  raise  from  320  to  70°,  362 
X  134-9  cubic  feet  of  air  per  hour=524  cubic  feet,  assuming  no  loss 
by  radiation  or  openings,  raised  in  one  hour  from  320  to  70°. 

The  usual  allowance  is  from  60  to  250  cubic  feet  per  foot  of  radiat¬ 
ing  surface,  according  to  exposure  and  other  conditions. 

A  consumer  with  12,000  cubic  feet  of  space,  and  80  cubic  feet  per 


46 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPt's  REPORT. 


square  foot  of  radiating  surface,  would  require  12,000=80=150  square 
feet  radiator  surface,  and  150X362  =  54,300  heat  units  per  hour,  or 
54,300=3,600=15  units  per  second. 

The  capacity  of  a  6-inch  main  under  60  pounds  pressure  will  be,  in 
one  mile,  .0762  X  V/65x  41. 3  +  V 5  =  103  cubic  feet  of  steam, 

and  103X42  =  4329  units  per  second. 

Deduct  loss  by  condensation  in  one  mile  of  6-inch  pipe,  5  J  per  cent. 
=  237  units,  leaves  available  4089  units,  and  4089=15  =  273  consumers 
supplied  by  a  6-inch  pipe  at  a  distance  of  one  mile  on  this  basis. 

But,  if  one  cubic  foot  of  steam  be  allowed  to  one  cubic  foot  of  space 
for  16  hours,  the  6-inch  pipe  at  an  average  distance  of  one  mile  would 
supply  500  consumers. 

If  it  be  assumed  that  one  pound  of  coal  evaporating  9  pounds  of 
water  furnishes  an  average  of  1 000  available  heat  units  per  pound  after 
deducting  condensation,  then  one  pound  of  coal  represents  9000  heat 
units,  and  a  consumer  with  150  square  feet  radiator,  using  heat  16 
hours,  would  represent  pounds  of  coal  per  day  150X362X16  =  9000 
=  96  pounds,  or  6  pounds  per  hour,  at  a  cost  of  cents  per  hour 
at  $5  per  ton  for  the  whole  building,  containing  an  average  of  6 
ordinary  apartments,  well  heated,  assuming  inside  temperature  70°  and 
outside  3  20.  This  is  much  more  than  average  consumption. 

• 

Experivient  No.  4. 

One  cubic  foot  of  steam  will  heat  one  cubic  foot  of  space  16  hours. 

One  cubic  foot  of  steam  contains  of  available  heat  units  62.5  X  1000 
=  1700=37. 

One  pound  of  air  raised  from  320  to  70°  required  9  units. 

One  pound  of  air  is  13  cubic  feet. 

One  cubic  foot  requires  .7  of  a  unit. 

Thirty-seven  units  would  heat  the  cubic  foot  of  air  from  320  to  70° 
50  times  in  the  16  hours,  and  if  the  apartment  was  protected  from 
drafts  should  be  much  more  than  sufficient.  Experience  in  such  mat¬ 
ters  is  the  only  safe  guide.  Mr.  Holly’s  data  are,  he  claims,  based  on 
observation  and  tests.  On  the  basis  of  one  cubic  foot  of  steam  to 
heat  one  cubic  foot  of  space  for  16  hours,  12,000  cubic  feet  of  space 
would  require  1 2,000  X  42  =  504,000  heat  units,  representing  56  pounds 
of  coal  instead  of  96,  as  deduced  from  No.  4. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


47 


Experiment  No.  5. 

A  winter  test  of  condensation  made  probably  in  the  same  manner  as 
former  ones,  by  the  weight  or  measure  of  condensed  water,  gave  io 
per  cent,  more  condensation  at  a  pressure  of  32  pounds  than  a  former 
test  gave  at  25  pounds. 

Observation. — The  discharges  were  as or  as  5-6  :  5.  The 
condensation  was  increased  in  the  same  proportion  as  the  increased 
discharge,  and,  consequently  the  percentage  measured  by  heat  units 
transmitted  was  nearly  constant. 


Experiment  No.  6. 

If  40  to  60  pounds,  say  average  50  pounds,  of  coal,  are  lost  daily  in 
simply  keeping  up  the  fire  without  drawing  out  any  steam,  this  amount 
of  coal  would,  at  the  station  properly  used,  produce  50 X  9^62.5  X 
1,700=12,440  cubic  feet  of  steam,  capable  of  warming  a  house  of 
average  consumption  16  hours.  All  this  heat  is,  on  the  old  system, 
entirely  wasted ;  or,  expressed  in  other  terms,  the  waste  on  the  old  sys¬ 
tem  is  equal  to  the  whole  average  consumption  on  the  new. 

Experiment  No.  7. 

The  evaporation  of  four  pounds  of  water  to  one  pound  of  coal  in 
small  boilers,  as  against  the  regular  duty  of  9  pounds  at  the  station, 
shows  that  the  actual  heat  units  utilized  in  warming  a  building  on  the 
old  system  require  2^  times  the  coal,  as  compared  with  the  Holly  Sys¬ 
tem,  in  addition  to  the  50  pounds  of  coal  lost  per  day  by  condensation, 
as  stated  in  No.  7. 

Observations  8,  9  and  10  require  no  comment;  they  furnish  data  for 
estimates. 

Observation. — It  appears  from  experiments  discussed  that  5^  per 
cent,  for  a  distance  of  one  mile  in  a  six-inch  main  will  be  sufficient  to 
cover  losses  by  condensation  when  transmitting  steam  to  the  limit  of 
the  capacity  of  the  pipe,  and  there  are  no  other  losses  where  steam  is 
used  for  warming  buildings.  Although  the  condensation  is  greater  at 
60  pounds  pressure  and  temperature  of  307  °,  measured  by  the  number 
of  units  condensed,  yet,  as  the  units  transmitted  are  greater,  the  per¬ 
centage  of  loss  is  nearly  constant. 

In  pipes  of  other  diameters  it  may  be  assumed  as  practically  correct 
that  the  condensation  is  inversely  as  the  diameter. 


48 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


From  experiment  No.  i  it  appears  that  the  loss  of  heat  units  from 
one  cubic  foot  of  steam  per  minute  will  be 


At  60  pounds,  307°,  2.33,  or  per  hour . 139. 

“  45  “  294°,  1.50  “  90- 

“  30  “  275°,  i.os  “  63- 

“  15  “  250°,  0.80  “  4& 


As  the  pipe  was  three  inches  in  diameter,  20  feet  were  required  to 
contain  one  cubic  foot,  presenting  16  square  feet  of  radiating  surface, 
and  it  follows  therefore  that  the  loss  of  heat  units  per  square  foot  of 
radiating  surface  will  be 


At  60  pounds 


u 

a 

u 


45 

30 

i5 


u 

u 

u 


8.7 

5.6 

4.0 

3-0 


A  one-inch  service  pipe,  carrying  steam  at  30  pounds,  and  for  a  dis¬ 
tance  of  100  feet  will  lose  by  condensation  26.2X4=105  units  per 
hour.  Its  carrying  capacity  under  this  pressure  will  be  .0762  X 

/V/^^^'X4I-3X  ^3X42  =  196  units  per  second.  196  units  per  sec- 
ond=  196X3600=705600  units  per  hour. 


A  consumption  of  12000  cubic  feet  of  steam  at  2120  in  16  hours, 
equivalent  to  one  cubic  foot  of  steam  for  each  cubic  foot  of  space,  is 
equal  to  750  cubic  feet  per  hour,  and  750X42-^3600=8.7  units  of 
heat  per  second  which  is  only  one  twenty-second  of  its  capacity.  The 
loss  by  condensation  is  J  of  1  per  cent,  in  100  feet  from  these  data. 

The  condensation  in  100  feet  of  service  pipe  will  in  this  case  amount 
to  .33  of  one  per  cent,  on  the  consumption  which  it  supplies,  or  at  the 
rate  of  17.6  per  cent,  per  mile. 


Condensation  in  Pipes  of  Different  Diameters. — With  the  same  pres¬ 
sure  and  length  the  capacities  for  transmission  vary  directly  as  the 
square  roots  of  the  fifth  powers  of  the  diameters,  while  the  radiating 
surface  increases  only  in  proportion  to  the  diameters.  If  therefore  the 
loss  in  one  mile  of  six-inch  main  be  taken  at  5^  per  cent,  of  the  heat 
units  transmitted,  the  percentage  of  loss  in  a  pipe  of  one  inch  would 
be  5.5X88-^6  =  80  per  cent,  of  the  heat  units  transmitted  one  mile 
discharging  at  the  limit  of  capacity. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


49 


For  a  2-inch  pipe  the  percentage  would  be  8oX  2-^5.66  =  29.0  per  cent. 


3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

1 1 

12 


80X3  =  15.6  =  15.4 
80X4=32  =10.0 
80X5  =  56  =  7.1 
8ox6-j-88  =  5.5 
80X7^-13°  =  4-3 
80X8-M81  =  3.5 
80X9=243  =  2.9 
80X  10-^317  =  2.5 
80  X  11  =  401  =  2.2 
80X12-^499  =  1.9 


It  appears  therefore  that  in  large  mains  the  percentage  of  loss  by 
condensation  is  trifling,  and  in  service  pipes  it  would  appear  desirable 
that  the  diameter  should  be  as  small  as  possible  consistent  with  a  full 
supply,  that  a  fair  velocity  may  be  maintained,  and  that  radiating  sur¬ 
face  in  proportion  to  units  transmitted  be  reduced  as  low  as  possible. 


TRANSMISSION  OF  HEAT  BY  WATER  AND  CAPACITY  OF  MAINS  AS  COM¬ 
PARED  WITH  STEAM. 

Water,  in  consequence  of  its  great  capacity  for  heat,  can  be  made 
the  vehicle  of  transmission  of  a  large  number  of  heat  units,  but  this 
advantage  is  neutralized  to  a  great  extent  by  the  fact  that  its  density 
causes  it  to  move  with  low  velocity ;  and,  if  returned  for  reheating,  as 
the  advocates  of  the  system  propose,  a  double  line  of  pipes  will  be 
required,  which  will  largely  increase  the  cost  beyond  the  proportionate 
increase  of  capacity. 

Suppose  that  a  three-inch  hot  water  main  could  transport  as  many 
units  of  heat  in  a  given  time  as  a  six-inch  steam  main,  the  water  main 
must  be  doubled  by  the  return  pipe,  and  the  cost  of  pipes  and  laying, 
as  appears  from  an  inspection  of  Mr.  Holly’s  tables,  based  on  actual 
cost,  would  be  precisely  equal,  independently  of  the  expense  of  pump¬ 
ing  back  into  the  boiler,  so  that  nothing  could  be  gained  on  the  score 
of  economy  of  plant. 

To  compare  the  two  modes  of  transmission,  it  would  be  fair  to  take 
as  a  basis  equal  capital  invested,  and  allow  a  three-inch  main  for  hot 
water  and  a  six-inch  main  for  steam,  the  cost  of  the  two  being  equal ; 
but  the  comparison  will  first  be  made  with  mains  of  equal  size,  and  the 
7 


50 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’s  REPORT. 


question  considered  with  reference  to  units  of  heat  transmitted,  and 
the  cost  at  which  they  can  be  furnished  to  the  consumer  for  the  portion 
actually  utilized. 

WHAT  IS  THE  HOT- WATER  SYSTEM  ? 

As  explained  by  its  advocates  in  the  newspapers,  it  consists  in  provid¬ 
ing  a  boiler  in  which  water  is  heated  to  the  temperature  of  350  pounds 
pressure,  then  transmitted  through  pipes,  converted  into  steam  at  a 
pressure  of  from  1  to  50  pounds  per  square  inch,  as  may  be  desired, 
and  returned  to  the  boiler  by  means  of  a  pump  to  be  reheated.  “  It 
is  stated  that  the  power  can  be  used  to  drive  machinery ;  that  the  most 
obvious  advantage,  as  compared  with  steam  is,  that  the  hot  water 
weighs  62^  pounds  per  cubic  foot,  while  steam  of  the  same  tempera¬ 
ture  weighs  only  a  few  ounces ;  hence,  a  vastly  greater  number  of  units 
of  heat  may  be  conveyed  by  water  in  the  same-sized  pipe.” 

These  declarations  will  be  submitted  to  the  test  of  calculation,  it  being 
remembered  that  it  is  only  the  number  of  units  of  heat  capable  of  being 
utilized  that  can  be  estimated ;  units  of  heat  traveling  around  a  circle 
and  pumped  back  into  the  boiler  cannot  accomplish  anything  useful, 
but  must  involve  expense  and  loss  of  power  in  transmission. 

Assume  a  pipe  six  inches  in  diameter  and  one  mile  long.  The  hot 
water  returned  at  2120  and  pumped  back  into  the  boiler,  the  excess 
above  2 120  being  supposed  to  be  utilized  for  heating  purposes. 

The  water  discharge  under  350  pounds  pressure,  and  distance  one 
mile,  will  be  .0762  X  88  X  V^x2^1  — 2.6  cubic  feet  per  second. 

5280  v 

The  steam  discharge  at  the  same  pressure  at  the  boilers  will  be  528 
cubic  feet,  and  the  velocity  of  the  steam  203  times  greater  than  water. 
But  the  water  must  be  returned  to  the  boilers,  and  must  travel  two 
miles,  while  the  steam  travels  one ;  this  will  reduce  the  discharge  in  the 
proportion  of  \l  2  to  1,  and  the  2.6  feet  will  become  1.85  cubic  feet 
relative  velocity  1  to  285.  The  temperature  of  water  or  steam  under 
350  pounds  pressure  is  431  degrees. 

If  the  water  be  supposed  under  conditions  most  favorable  to  the 
system  to  be  returned  to  the  boiler  for  reheating  at  2120,  the  greatest 
number  of  heat  units  that  could  by  any  possibility  be  utilized  would  be 
1.85 X62.5 X 2i9°  =  25320  units  per  second,  but  this  amount  is  largely 
in  excess,  for  if  the  whole  of  the  water  were  returned  2.1^=175  pounds 


holly  system  oe  stLaM  HEATiHO. 


51 


pressure  on  the  return  main,  would  be  required  to  send  it  back  to  the 
boiler,  and  the  units  in  the  return  pipe  are  not  utilized,  but  allowing 
that  steam  has  been  used,  and  only  the  water  due  to  a  pressure  of  120 
pounds  is  returned,  the  quantity  utilized  can  be  determined.  1.85  X 
62.5  X  431°  =  4983 2  units  per  second.  The  temperature  at  120  pounds 
is  346°.  Now  for  100  pounds  of  water  reduced  in  temperature  from 
43 1 0  to  346°  by  reduction  of  pressure,  there  would  be  liberated,  as 
shown  by  calculation,  ten  pounds  steam  at  346°,  leaving  90  pounds 
water  at  same  temperature. 

This  ten  per  cent,  of  steam,  omitting  losses  by  radiation,  is  all  that 
can  by  any  possibility  be  utilized,  and  if  the  condensed  water  be  allowed 
to  flow  off,  for  it  cannot  be  returned  to  the  boiler  without  pumping 
against  the  pressure  in  the  mains,  the  total  units  of  heat  per  second 
capable  of  being  utilized  will  be  10,000,  assuming  1000  units  per 
pound. 

The  steam  pipe  would  carry  528  cubic  feet,  each  cubic  foot  contain¬ 
ing  42  units,  and  42  X  528=22176  units,  all  of  which  would  be  utilized. 

The  relative  capacity  for  transportation  of  available  units  would 
therefore  be  as  22176  to  11.560,  or  as  1  to  2.22  in  favor  of  steam. 

But  it  must  be  remembered  that  this  difference  is  simply  in  capacity 
of  mains,  and  not  in  cost,  which  is  the  practical  question.  It  requires 
precisely  as  many  pounds  of  coal  to  produce  a  given  number  of  units 
of  heat  in  hot  water  as  in  steam,  and  if  the  water  pipe  carried  a  greater 
number  of  available  units,  which  it  does  not,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  it  has  required  a  proportionate  number  of  pounds  of  coal  to  produce 
them.  There  is  clearly  no  advantage  is  reducing  size  of  mains,  if  that 
reduced  size  is  secured  at  increased  cost,  particularly  when  it  is  con¬ 
sidered  that  for  each  cubic  foot  of  contents  the  radiating  surface  in  the 
small  pipe  is  increased  in  proportion  to  the  difference  of  the  diame¬ 
ters.  For  example  a  six-inch  pipe  requires  five  feet  in  length  to  con¬ 
tain  a  cubic  foot  of  volume  and  presents  7^  square  feet  of  radiating 
surface,  while  a  three-inch  pipe  requires  20  feet  in  length  for  a  cubic 
foot,  and  the  radiating  surface  is  15  square  feet,  and  with  return  main 
30  feet  or  4  to  1  against  the  hot  water  pipe. 

Omitting  considerations  of  condensation  the  true  practical  basis  of 
comparison  would  be  capacity  of  mains  in  proportion  to  cost  and  as  a 
three-inch  water  main  with  return  costs  when  laid  precisely  as  much  as 


52 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT  S  REPORT. 


a  single  six-inch  steam  main,  the  relative  capacities  will  be  compared. 

These  capacities  are  in  the  proportion  of  the  square  root  of  the  fifth 
powers  of  the  diameters,  or  as  i  to  5.66,  and  if  the  six-inch  pipe  trans¬ 
ported  10,000  available  heat  units  per  second,  the  three-inch  pipe  could 
carry  only  10,000-4-5.66=1767,  against  22176  units  carried  by  a  steam 
main  laid  at  the  same  cost,  giving  an  advantage  of  more  than  1 2  to  1  in 
favor  of  steam,  on  the  only  point  upon  which  the  advocates  of  hot 
water  claim  superiority.  Clearly  the  capacity  to  transport  a  greater 
number  of  heat  units  cannot  be  claimed  to  be  of  value  if  these  units 
cannot  be  utilized. 

We  have  now  considered  the  conditions  most  favorable  to  the  hot 
water  system.  In  other  important  particulars  the  advantages  are  over¬ 
whelmingly  in  favor  of  steam.  The  objections  to  hot  water  as  a  vehi¬ 
cle  of  transmission  other  than  those  already  stated,  are 

1.  The  double  loss  by  condensation  from  the  necessity  of  having  a 
return  main. 

2.  It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  water  of  condensation  from  the 
heat  utilized  by  consumers  is  to  be  returned  into  the  boiler  through 
the  return  main ;  this  is  impracticable.  If  the  mains  are  connected 
at  the  extreme  end,  as  will  be  necessary  to  cause  circulation,  the  pres¬ 
sure  on  the  return  main  at  the  commencement  will  be  half  the  boiler 
pressure,  less  pressure  due  to  water  or  steam  used,  and  it  will  be  impos¬ 
sible  without  a  pump  at  each  building,  to  return  the  condensed  water 
into  it.  In  fact  the  condensation  from  all  the  heat  utilized  must  be 
wasted,  none  of  it  can  be  returned. 

3.  The  portion  of  water  that  can  be  returned  to  the  boiler  by 
means  of  a  pump  is  only  that  which  remains  as  water  when  the  pres¬ 
sure  is  reduced  to  15  pounds,  and  the  temperature  to  2120. 

4.  To  pump  this  water  back  into  the  boiler  against  a  pressure  of 
350  pounds  will  require  an  amount  of  power  represented  by  coal  which 
will  exceed  the  whole  amount  required  to  heat  the  water  originally. 

5.  To  force  the  water  back  through  the  return  main  will  cause  the 
loss  of  another  large  percentage  of  power  and  coal. 

6.  To  waste  the  water  and  not  return  it,  would  be  to  waste  a  large 
percentage  of  the  heat  generated. 

7.  It  seems  impossible  to  utilize  the  hot  water  system  in  any  way 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


53 


without  the  expansion  joints,  junction  boxes,  and  other  appliances  and 
combinations  that  are  covered  by  the  Holly  patents. 

8.  To  use  hot  water  as  a  fuel  to  generate  steam  in  other  boilers  is 
impracticable,  and  if  practicable  would  not  be  economical. 

9.  To  use  the  steam  liberated  from  hot  water  by  reduced  pressure 
as  a  power,  is  less  economical  than  to  use  the  steam  directly  from  the 
mains  or  to  generate  it  in  the  usual  manner. 

These  propositions  will  be  more  fully  considered : 

1.  The  double  loss  by  condensation  in  the  double  line  of  pipes  is 
obvious  and  requires  no  explanation. 

2.  There  must  necessarily  be  a  heavy  pressure  on  the  return  main, 
which  is  required  to  bring  the  water  back  to  the  boiler  to  be  reheated. 
If  no  water  had  been  wasted  or  steam  consumed,  this  pressure  at  the 
commencement  of  the  return  main  would  have  been  one-half  the 
initial  pressure,  or  175  pounds,  but  if  ten  per  cent,  be  utilized  in  steam 
and  90  per  cent,  returned  to  the  boiler,  the  pressure  required  to  return 
it  will  1 41  pounds. 

3.  The  portion  of  water  that  can  returned  to  the  boiler  under  the 
conditions  assumed  is  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  quantity  forced  from  the 
boiler,  or  1. 88 X. 90=  1.665  cubic  feet  per  second,  with  a  velocity  of 
8.325  feet  per  second  in  a  six-inch  pipe. 

4.  The  area  of  a  six-inch  pipe  is  28  square  inches,  and  the  pres¬ 
sure  to  be  overcome  in  pumping  the  water  back  into  the  boiler  is  350 
pounds  per  square  inch,  or  28X350  =  9800  pounds.  The  velocity  be¬ 
ing  8.325  feet  per  second,  or  500  feet  per  minute,  the  power  required 
to  pump  this  water  back,  with  usual  allowance  of  33  per  cent,  for  fric¬ 
tion,  will  be  225  horse  power.  The  power  expended  at  the  boiler  in 
circulating  the  water  when  it  started  on  its  course  was  165  horse  power 
or  the  coal  required  to  pump  the  water  back  against  the  assumed  pres¬ 
sure  of  350  pounds  is  greater  than  the  coal  required  to  generate  the 
heat  proposed  to  be  utilized. 

This  fact  should  be  obvious  without  any  calculation,  for  if  the  water 
returned  to  the  boiler  with  its  force  expended,  it  would  require  as  much 
power  to  return  it,  as  was  required  to  put  it  in  circulation,  indepen¬ 
dently  of  friction  of  machinery,  but  this  friction  would  increase  it  33 
per  cent,  if  the  quantity  returned  was  the  same ;  and  the  quantity 
returned  must  be  the  same,  because  any  steam  or  water  lost  in  trans- 


54 


General  Herman  haupt's  repoR'E. 


mission  must  be  replaced  by  other  water  pumped  into  the  boiler  against 
the  same  pressure. 

5.  The  pressure  required  in  the  return  main  has  been  shown  to  be 
1 41  pounds,  and  the  only  office  performed  by  it,  is  to  return  a  portion 
of  the  water  to  be  pumped  back,  at  a  cost  of  fuel  greater  than  the 
whole  expenditure  for  heating  the  water  originally. 

6.  If  the  water  is  allowed  to  run  off  and  is  not  returned,  the  steam 
above  2120  only  being  utilized,  there  will  be  a  loss  of  23,380  units  in  the 
water,  and  the  steam  will  carry  45,120  units,  the  loss  being  33  per 
cent,  of  the  heat  units  generated. 

7.  The  hot  water  system  cannot  be  applied  without  junction  boxes, 
expansion  joints,  regulators,  meters,  and  their  combinations  with  each 
other,  and  with  mains,  all  of  which,  as  also  the  use  of  hot  water  in 
mains,  are  covered  by  the  steam  combination  patents. 

8.  The  heat  of  an  ordinary  furnace  is  from  1,500  to  2,000  degrees. 
The  rapidity  of  the  transmission  of  heat  is  in  proportion  to  the  differ¬ 
ence  of  temperature.  To  heat  water,  and  then  use  this  hot  water  as 
fuel  to  heat  other  water  to  nearly  the  same  temperature,  would  require 
an  enormous  extension  of  boiler  surface  and  increased  loss  by  radia¬ 
tion.  It  would  be  an  exceedingly  slow  operation,  and  could  not  com¬ 
pare  favorably  in  ecomomy  with  direct  generation  in  the  usual  manner. 
The  amount  of  heating  surface  required  with  a  given  difference  of 
temperature  could  be  calculated,  and  the  expense  as  compared  with 
direct  steam  estimated,  but  time  and  labor  would  be  thrown  away — 
the  proposition  is  clearly  economically  impracticable. 

9.  No  doubt  hot  water  at  a  high  temperature  can  be  carried  in 
pipes,  and  steam  produced  at  a  lower  temperature  by  reduction  of 
pressure,  but  the  water  must  either  be  allowed  to  run  off  at  a  high  tem¬ 
perature,  carrying  a  very  large  amount  of  the  heat  with  it,  or  if  return¬ 
ed  to  the  boiler,  will  require  a  larger  expenditure  of  power  than  all  that 
was  secured  by  the  use  of  the  steam,  or  it  must  be  used  as  hot  water  in 
heating  indirect  coils,  which  is  practicable,  and  this  use  of  hot  water  is 
as  previously  stated,  contemplated  in  the  Holly  System,  but  not  the 
return  main  and  pumps,  the  paternity  of  which  Mr.  Holly  is  not  par¬ 
ticularly  anxious  to  claim. 

I  have  not  considered  the  increased  loss  by  condensation  and  radia¬ 
tion  from  the  high  temperature  at  which  hot  water  is  proposed  to  be 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


55 


utilized,  equivalent  to  more  than  24  atmospheres.  The  loss  between 
atmospheric  pressure  and  one  atmosphere  being  assumed  as  one  unit, 
the  loss  from  two  to  one  was  shown  to  be  1.3  units,  from  two  to  three 
atmospheres  1.9  units,  and  from  three  to  four  atmospheres  nearly  three 
units.  The  difference  increases  with  the  pressure  and  temperature, 
and  at  four  atmospheres  is  three  times  as  much  as  at  one.  At  24 
atmospheres  the  loss  by  radiation  and  condensation  would  be  greatly 
increased,  and  this  would  be  doubled  by  the  return  main. 

In  conclusion,  I  will  state  as  my  deliberate  opinion  in  regard  to 
the  hot  water  project  that  a  more  absurd  and  impracticable  scheme  for 
transmitting  heat  and  furnishing  power  never  entered  the  mind  of  man. 
And  in  this  discussion  I  have  omitted  other  very  serious  objections, 
such  as  the  great  liability  to  explosion  under  350  pounds  pressure,  as 
compared  with  steam  at  60  pounds.  I  feel  however  that  I  have 
already  given  the  subject  more  time  and  space  than  it  merits. 

COMPARATIVE  COST  OF  WARMING  AN  AVERAGE  BUILDING  OF  12,000  CUBIC 
FEET  OF  SPACE,  ON  THE  HOLLY  SYSTEM  AND  ON  THE  ORDINARY 
SYSTEM,  WITH  SMALL  BOILER  IN  BASEMENT. 

On  the  Holly  System. — 12000  cubic  feet  of  space  requires  12000 
cubic  feet  of  steam  for  16  hours. 

One  pound  of  coal  will  evaporate  9  pounds  of  water.  9  pounds 
water  give  9X1000  units  available  heat,  9000.  One  cubic  foot  of 
steam  contains  42  units.  9000  units  give  214  cubic  feet.  1000 

cubic  feet  require  yT(L0  =  4.7  pounds  of  coal.  12000  cubic  feet  require 
12X4.7  =  56.4  pounds  of  coal  16  hours.  At  $5  per  ton  coal  costs 


12V0T— l  cent  Per  Pound* 

56.4  pounds  cost  per  day  of  16  hours . 14 

A  year  of  200  days,  1 4 X  200 . $28.00 

Loss  by  condensation,  4  per  cent .  1.12 

$29.12 


On  the  Old  System. — Evaporation  4  pounds  water  to  one  of  coal. 

Cost  of  12000  cubic  feet  steam  per  day,  14  Xf .  $0.32 

Radiation  from  small  boiler  per  day,  50  pounds  average 

of  coal,  as  per  tests  made  for  the  purpose,  50XJ..  0.12.5 


$0.44.5 


56 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


For  200  days . $89 . 00 

Interest  and  repairs  on  boiler  and  other  extra  fixtures .  21.00 


$110.00 

The  interest  on  cost  of  works  has  not  been  considered,  but  only  the 
consumption  in  a  dwelling.  The  expense  of  interest  on  capital  must 
be  divided  amongst  the  whole  number  of  consumers. 

Estimates  of  plant  and  capacity  of  a  six-inch  main,  to  supply  consum¬ 
ers  of  heat  alone,  at  an  average  distance  of  one  mile,  under  a  boiler  pres¬ 
sure  of  three  atmospheres — 45  pounds. 

The  capacity  of  the  main  for  water  is  .956  cubic  feet  per  second,  and 
for  steam  79.34  cubic  feet. 

The  water  evaporated  per  hour  will  be  79.34X3600-^-1700=168 
cubic  feet=i68  horse  power.  The  number  of  consumers  supplied  will 


be  for  16  hours,  79.34X3600X  16-^-12000=383. 

Cost  of  plant: 

3  boilers  of  75  horse  power  each . $  3,600 

Building  and  lot .  2,000 

One  mile  6-inch  main  laid .  12,000 

20,000  feet  service  pipes  laid .  14,000 

Capital  invested . $3 1,600 

Cost  of  operation : 

2800  cubic  feet  water  per  day  =  2800  X  7  — 19600  coal,  $5  . .  .  .$49  00 
2  firemen .  3  00 

Per  day,  $52  00 

Fuel  and  attendance  200  days . $10,400 


Clerk  and  book-keeper. . 
Collector  and  inspector. 
Treasurer  and  President 


Repairs .  1,500 

Annual  expenses . $14,900 

Income : 

383  consumers  at  $100 . $38,300 

Deduct  expenses .  14,900 

Surp>us . $23,400 


Sufficient  to  cover  expenses  and  73  per  cent,  on  capital. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


57 


\  he  estimate  would  apply  to  a  small  village  of  about  1000  to  1500 
population.  As  the  population  becomes  more  dense,  the  proportionate 
cost  of  plant  and  general  expenses  will  diminish,  and  the  ratio  of  net 
revenue  increase. 

It  is  proper  to  observe  that  this  estimate  is  low  on  an  average  of 
$100  to  each  consumer,  which  would  be  slightly  increased  if  the  small 
boilers  to  generate  steam  were  properly  protected  against  radiation,  and 
it  assumes  also  that  any  consumer  will  gladly  pay  the  cost  of  fuel  to 
get  rid  of  the  danger  from  boiler  explosion,  the  dirt  of  coal  and  ashes, 
the  expense  of  attendance,  and  the  numerous  annoyances  and  discom¬ 
forts  of  the  present  system.  With  furnaces,  the  dirt,  waste  and  expense 
are  believed  to  be  still  greater,  but  no  accurate  data  are  at  present 
accessible.  $100  per  average  house  is  probably  a  fair  estimate  of  cost 
of  fuel  and  its  attendant  expenses  for  heating,  and  if  steam  can  be 
furnished  at  the  same  cost,  it  seems  fair  to  assume  $100  as  a  basis  of 
an  estimate. 

ESTIMATE  OF  COST  OF  WARMING  ONE  MILE  SQUARE  IN  A  LARGE  CITY. 

In  estimating  the  amount  of  space  we  will  assume  30  feet  high  and 
100  feet  deep  on  each  side  of  each  street =6000  cubic  feet  of  space 
for  each  lineal  foot  of  street. 

Allow  ten  streets,  and  deduct  25  per  cent,  for  cross  streets  and  walls, 
there  will  be  240,000,000  cubic  feet  to  be  heated,  and  requiring  for  16 
hours  as  many  cubic  feet  of  steam=  147060  cubic  feet  of  water=9i9i 
cubic  feet  of  water  per  hour.  9191X7  =  64337  pounds  of  coal  per 
hour,  or  1029420  pounds  per  day,  or  for  200  days  100,000  tons  of  coal 
and  a  boiler  capacity  of  9600  horse  power,  with  small  reserve. 

The  quantity  of  steam  to  be  furnished  being,  in  16  hours,  240,000,- 
000  cubic  feet,  is  equivalent  to  4,166  cubic  feet  per  second. 

Assume  for  purposes  of  illustration  merely,  and  not  as  an  economi¬ 
cal  arrangement,  that  the  boiler  station  is  located  at  one  comer  of  the 
square,  that  the  mains  are  carried  along  one  side,  and  then  laid  along 
each  of  the  ten  streets,  and  that  at  the  commencement  of  each  street 
the  pressure  on  the  mains  shall  be  40  pounds.  The  solution  of  this  « 
problem  will  give  an  illustration  of  the  manner  of  procedure  in  other 
cases.  Assume  also  that  the  square  mile  has  ten  cross  streets.  There 
will  then  be  100  blocks  to  be  warmed.  The  street  mains  can  furnish 
8 


58 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


steam  to  a  distributing  point  in  the  centre  of  each  block.  Each  of 
the  io  street  mains  must  then  supply  one-tenth  of  240,000,000 
cubic  feet  =24,000,000  cubic  feet,  and  this  would  be  reduced  one-tenth 
at  intervals  of  500  feet,  where  the  service  pipes  would  be  taken  off. 
The  capacity  of  the  street  mains  for  the  first  500  feet  would  be  twen¬ 
ty-four  millions  of  cubic  feet  per  day,  or  say  416  cubic  feet  per  second, 
and  as  the  principal  main  is  supposed  to  be  on  one  side  of  the  block,  a 
table  of  the  discharges  can  be  readily  given. 


TABLE  OF  CAPACITIES  REQUIRED  FOR  STREET  MAINS. 


For  First 

500  feet . . 

per  second. 

“  Second 

u 

.  45° 

tt 

“  Third 

u 

u 

“  Fourth 

u 

.  35° 

(< 

“  Fifth 

a 

.  3°° 

tt 

“  Sixth 

a 

.  250 

tt 

“  Seventh 

a 

tt 

“  Eighth 

“  . 

.  !5o 

a 

“  Ninth 

a 

tt 

“  Tenth 

44 

.  5° 

a 

We  may  assume  for  the  first  section  the  diameter  of  main  that  would 
be  required  if  the  whole  amount  of  500  cubic  feet  per  second,  under 
40  feet  head,  were  to  be  carried  for  the  whole  distance  of  one  mile,  and 
then  determining  the  pressures  at  the  junctions  of  the  supply  pipes  for 
the  several  blocks,  reduce  the  size  of  the  main  so  as  to  maintain  the 
same  pressure  in  each  section  with  the  reduced  discharges  that  would 
have  existed  if  the  whole  amount  had  been  carried  to  the  end.  The 
size  of  the  main  required  to  pass  500  cubic  feet  per  second,  under  40 
pounds  pressure,  is  obtained  from  this  formula.  The  cubic  feet  per 
second  discharged = .  07  62  X  VH~x  42  X  V ff-s-  a/IT  With  a  pres¬ 
sure  of  40  pounds  H  =  92.4  feet,  and  L=528o.  The  formula  works 
out  d— 13  inches,  the  required  diameter. 

•  Instead  of  one  main  of  13  inches  to  each  street,  it  may  be  considered 
preferable  to  lay  two  smaller  mains  of  equivalent  capacity,  one  near 
each  curb,  and  the  size  required  will  be  two  of  ten  inch,  as  the  equiva¬ 
lent  of  one  of  13  inches,— the  capacity  being  as  the  square  root  of  the 
fifth  power  of  the  diameter. 


59 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATINO. 

I  he  capacity  of  a  1 2  inch  main  one  mile,  under  a  head  of  40 
pounds,  will  be  406  cubic  feet  .per  second,  and  as  the  close  calculation 
without  margin  was  416  cubic  feet,  a  single  12  inch  main  will  probably 
be  sufficient,  particularly  if  a  connection  is  made  so  as  to  provide  a 
circuit. 

If  we  have  a  given  head  of  water,  and  a  given  diameter  and  length 
of  pipes,  the  quantity  discharged  can  be  calculated  with  certainty,  and 
neither  more  nor  less  will  go  through  the  pipe  under  a  constant  pres¬ 
sure.  Steam  follows  the  same  laws,  and  under  a  constant  head,  and 
length,  and  diameter  of  pipe,  the  quantity  discharged  is  also  fixed,  and 
an  equal  or  greater  amount  cannot  be  passed  through  a  smaller  pipe 
without  increase  of  pressure. 

Assuming,  then,  a  12  inch  main,  an  initial  pressure  of  40  pounds, 
and  length  one  mile,  the  pressure  of  40  pounds  would  be  reduced  4 
pounds  at  each  of  the  service  junctions,  and  the  quantities  would  also 
be  reduced  by  the  escape  of  one-tenth  of  the  whole  number  of  cubic 
feet  at  each  junction,  so  that  a  table  of  pressures  and  discharges  would 
be  as  follows :  The  discharge  of  a  1 2  inch  main  under  40  pounds  at  one 


mile 

I  St 

being  406  cubic  feet, 

section  500  feet,  pressure 

40  pounds, 

discharge  406 

cubic  feet 

2d 

n 

5°° 

<(  u 

36 

a 

it 

365 

a 

3d 

ll 

5  00 

a  a 

32 

ii 

324 

.  Uj 

4th 

it 

5  00 

a  n 

28 

n 

it 

283^ 

ll 

5th 

ll 

5°° 

a  ii 

24 

a 

ii 

242 

ll 

6th 

it 

500 

a  a 

20 

“ 

a 

201 

ll 

7  th 

<< 

5°° 

a  a 

16 

ll 

ii 

l6o 

a 

3th 

n 

500 

(.  i( 

12 

ll 

a 

II9 

11 

9th 

n 

5  00 

It  it 

8 

ll 

*• 

78 

11 

10th 

a 

5°° 

u  a 

4 

ll 

it 

37 

11 

The  above  table  shows  the  distribution  of  the  street 

supply,  and  the 

sizes  of  pipes  in  each  street  vary  from  12  inches  to  6  at  the  last  500 
feet,  if  not  connected  in  a  circuit,  but  such  connection  is  always  desira¬ 
ble. 

There  remains  to  be  considered  the  sizes  of  the  principal  mains  to 
carry  the  steam  from  the  boiler  house  to  the  street  mains.  The  boiler 
house  supposed  to  be  at  an  angle  of  the  square. 

As  there  are  ten  street  mains,  carrying  at  the  start  4166  cubic  feet 


60 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


per  second,  and  requiring  a  capacity  of  io  twelve-inch  mains,  under 
varying  pressures.  After  passing  500  feet,  the  number  of  mains  would 
be  reduced  to  9,  and  after  the  next  500  feet  to  8,  until  only  one  would 
be  required  to  supply  the  most  distant  of  the  ten  streets. 

The  pressure  on  these  mains  will  not  be  equal.  It  has  been  assumed 
that  the  pressure  on  the  distributing  mains  will  be  uniformly  40  pounds. 
To  give  this  pressure  at  the  last  street,  will  require  a  boiler  pressure  of 
80  pounds,  reducing  for  each  street  4  pounds,  until  first  from  the  boil¬ 
ers,  which  will  require  44  pounds. 

To  fulfill  these  conditions  practically,  will  require  separate  nests  of 
boilers  to  supply  the  steam  for  each  street,  and  one  street  will  require 
for  406  cubic  feet  per  second,  406X42X3600=61,387,200  heat  units 
per  hour =64,000  pounds  of  water  evaporated  per  hour,  or  1000  cubic 
feet  per  hour,  or  1000  horse  power  for  each  street  of  one  mile  in  length. 
Each  battery  must  therefore  contain  1 2  boilers  of  80  horse  power  each, 
and  1 20  boilers  will  be  required  to  furnish  steam  for  the  mile  square. 

The  mains  leading  to  the  several  streets  will  require  expansion  joints 
but  not  junction  boxes,  and  one  intermediate  expansion  joint  between 
streets  would  probably  be  sufficient,  for  which  a  more  simple  and  eco¬ 
nomical  arrangement  than  the  ordinary  junction  box  can  probably  be 
devised. 

The  ten  mains,  if  laid  side  by  side,  would  occupy  too  much  space  in 
the  street.  They  might  be  laid  two  abreast  and  five  high  at  the  start. 
At  the  first  street  one  of  the  upper  mains  would  curve  off ;  at  the  sec¬ 
ond  street  another  of  the  first  tier  would  come  off,  leaving  four  tiers, 
which,  in  the  next  500  feet,  would  rise  nearer  to  the  surface,  and  at  the 
extreme  end  the  depth  of  the  trench  would  not  exceed  the  usual  depth 
for  a  single  main. 

Laid  in  this  manner,  the  trench  would  not  be  inconveniently  wide, 
and  the  number  of  pipes  in  close  proximity  would  aid  in  preventing 
loss  by  condensation. 

Of  course  it  will  be  discerned  that  the  problem  presented  is  hypo¬ 
thetical.  It  is  doubtful  whether  any  square  mile  in  American  cities 
will  require  240,000,000  cubic  feet  to  be  heated,  and  the  location  for 
the  boiler  house,  instead  of  being  at  one  comer,  might  be  in  the  centre. 
A  case  has  been  assumed  as  the  only  way  to  indicate  clearly  how  to 
make  the  estimates  and  furnish  an  illustration  of  the  great  expansion 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


61 


of  main  capacity  and  boiler  power  when  large  areas  are  to  be  supplied 
at  long  distances  from  the  boilers. 

It  will  be  apparent  from  the  discussion  of  this  practical  question  that 
the  ideas  heretofore  entertained  in  regard  to  the  size  of  mains,  have 
been  erroneous,  and  that  six  inch  pipes  for  long  distances  have  very 
limited  capacity.  It  may  be  convenient  and  useful  to  give  the  number 
of  1 2,000  cubic  feet  consumers  that  could  be  supplied  by  pipes  of  dif¬ 
ferent  sizes  at  an  average  distance  equivalent  to  one  mile,  and  remem¬ 
bering  that  if  extended  to  two  miles,  the  number  would  be  reduced  in 
proportion  as  14  to  10,  or  about  30  per  cent  less.  Boiler  pressure  50 
pounds,  1200  cubic  feet  in  16  hours =0.21  cubic  feet  in  one  §econd. 

A  2  in.  pipe  1  mile  carries  5.36  cub.  ft.,  and  will  supply  26  consumers 


3 

<< 

a 

15.18 

a 

a 

72 

a 

4 

a 

a 

30.36 

a 

a 

145 

a 

5 

a 

a 

53-66 

a 

a 

256 

u 

6 

i. 

a 

83-4 

1. 

a 

400 

a 

7 

a 

a 

124.8 

a 

a 

595 

a 

8 

a 

a 

171.6 

a 

a 

817 

a 

9 

a 

tt 

23O.9 

a 

a 

1100 

a 

10 

a 

a 

304-1 

a 

a 

i45° 

a 

1 1 

a 

a 

380.6 

a 

a 

1813 

a 

12 

a 

a 

472.3 

a 

a 

2250 

a 

The 

number  of 

consumers  would 

be  increased 

40  per  cent., 

and  the 

velocity  and  capacity  in  the  same  proportion,  if  consumers  were  locat¬ 
ed  uniformly  along  the  line  and  not  at  the  extreme  end,  as  the  above 
table  supposes. 

Another  table  will  be  required  to  estimate  the  quantity  of  coal  con¬ 
sumed,  which  will  be  different  for  a  given  number  of  consumers  upon 
each  street,  inasmuch  as  the  boiler  pressure  is  different,  and  the  evap¬ 
oration  of  steam  depends  upon  the  pressure.  The  following  table  gives 
in  the  first  column  the  indicated  pressure  above  the  atmosphere,  the 
second  the  corresponding  temperature,  the  third  the  excess  of  temper¬ 
ature  above  2120,  the  fourth  the  units  of  heat  required  to  evaporate 
one  pound  from  212°,  and  the  fifth  column  gives  the  pounds  of  water 
evaporated  per  pound  of  coal,  assuming  the  Lockport  regular  duty 


62 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’s  REPORT. 


of  9  pounds  water  from  one  pound  coal,  under  25  pounds  pressure  as 
a  basis. 


I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

0 

212° 

0 

960 

12.46 

70 

320° 

108 

1662 

7.20 

5 

228° 

16 

1064 

1 1 .25 

75 

324° 

112 

1668 

7.09 

10 

24I  ° 

29 

1148 

10.42 

80 

328° 

116 

1714 

6.98 

*5 

252° 

40 

I220 

9.81 

85 

332° 

120 

1740 

6.89 

20 

26i° 

49 

1279 

9-35 

90 

336° 

124 

1766 

6.80 

25 

269° 

57 

1330 

9.00 

95 

33 9° 

127 

1780 

6.71 

3° 

278° 

64 

1376 

8.70 

100 

343 

131 

1806 

6.62 

35 

283° 

7i 

1421 

8.43 

no 

349° 

137 

1850 

6.48 

40 

289° 

77 

1460 

8.20 

120 

355° 

143 

1889 

6-33 

45 

295° 

83 

*499 

7.91 

130 

36i° 

149 

1928 

6.21 

5o 

301° 

89 

1538 

7.78 

140 

366° 

*54 

i960 

6. 11 

55 

3°6° 

94 

I57i 

7.62 

150 

37*° 

*59 

*993 

6.01 

60 

3il° 

99 

1603 

7-47 

*75 

383° 

171 

2071 

5-77 

65 

3*5° 

103 

1630 

7-34 

200 

395° 

183 

2150 

5-57 

We  have  now  developed  data  for  an  approximate  estimate  of  cost  of 
warming  one  square  mile  in  a  populous  city  containing  within  that  area 
20,000  consumers. 

PLANT  REQUIRED. 

Ten  batteries  of  12  boilers  of  80  horse  power  each. 

The  arrangement  of  the  boiler  houses  will  of  course  be  controlled 
by  the  location,  and  where  ground  is  very  expensive  it  may,  be  neces¬ 
sary  to  place  them  in  second  stories  in  a  fire-proof  building,  and  raise 
the  coal  with  steam  elevators,  but  for  the  purposes  of  this  estimate  it 
will  be  assumed  that  the  boilers  are  on  the  ground  floor  in  brick  build¬ 
ings  covered  with  corrugated  iron  roof,  and  that  each  shed  contains  2 
batteries  of  boilers  placed  back  to  back,  with  the  chimneys  between. 
In  front  of  the  rows  of  boilers,  spaces  will  be  left  of  not  less  than  15 
feet,  and  railroad  tracks  laid  on  each  side  next  the  walls,  so  as  to 
deposit  the  coal  inside  opposite  each  boiler  and  avoid  opening  doors 
which  will  chill  the  building  and  increase  loss  by  radiation. 

Each  boiler  if  placed  side  by  side  will  occupy  a  space  of  about  7x22 
feet,  and  a  building  to  contain  24  boilers  must  be  at  least  114x80 
feet,  with  about  two  chimney  stacks,  assumed  to  be  sufficient  without 
calculation.  Five  such  buildings  will  be  required,  and  each  one 
would  cost  upon  a  single  estimate,  without  reliable  data,  about  $16,000. 

Ground  will  be  assumed  at  $50,000. 

ESTIMATE  OF  12  INCH  MAINS. 

It  will  be  assumed  that  10  mains  will  be  laid  on  one  of  the  sides  of 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


63 


the  square  to  supply  steam  to  the  ten  streets,  also  that  the  street  mains 
will  be  12  inches,  for  although  the  sizes  of  these  street  mains,  if  no 
circulation  be  provided,  might  be  reduced  from  12  to  6  inches  from 
the  commencement  to  the  end  of  each  street,  yet  as  circulation  is 
important  in  case  of  accident,  it  will  be  expedient  to  maintain  the  full 
sizes  of  the  street  mains,  and  also  lay  mains  for  connection  and  circu¬ 
lation  on  the  opposite  two  sides  of  the  square,  thus  making  22  miles 
of  12  inch  street  mains,  or  116,160  feet. 

The  cost  of  a  1 2  inch  main,  laid  as  given  by  the  Lockport  estimate, 
is  $5.70  cents  per  foot,  net,  including  repaving. 

It  will  be  assumed  that  each  block  of  500  feet  square  will  be  sup¬ 
plied  by  running  a  pipe  to  the  centre  of  the  block  to  a  distributing 
chamber  and  a  line  of  pipes  parallel  to  the  mains  at  the  back  lines  of 
the  lots.  The  length  of  pipe  for  each  block  from  the  main  to  the  dis¬ 
tributing  chamber  will  be  275  feet,  and  as  there  are  100  blocks,  each 
block  will  require  2,400,000  cubic  feet  in  16  hours  or  42  cubic  feet  per 
second. 

If  the  street  mains  were  not  connected  by  a  pipe  at  both  ends  so  as 
to  provide  circulation,  the  pressures  on  the  street  mains  would  vary 
from  40  ppunds  to  5  pounds,  and  the  size  of  the  service  pipe  to  pass 
42  cubic  feet  per  second  would  vary  greatly,  but  with  such  connection 
a  greater  uniformity  of  pressure  will  be  maintained,  and  it  may  be  suf¬ 
ficient  to  assume  20  pounds  as  an  average  pressure,  in  which  case  a 
pipe  of  3^-  inches  diameter  will  be  required  for  each  of  the  100  blocks, 
and  the  total  amount  of  3J  inch  pipe  will  be  275  X  100  =  27,500  lineal 
feet,  the  cost  of  which  laid  is,  allowing  for  difficulties  in  laying,  $1.50 
per  lineal  foot. 

From  the  middle  of  the  block,  a  pipe  will  be  carried  each 
way  an  average  of  125  feet,  and  the  size  of  the  pipe  for  this  service 
will  be  2\  inches.  The  amount  of  2^  inch  pipe  will  be  500X100= 
50,000  feet,  and  the  price  per  foot  $1.25. 

It  will  be  assumed  that  all  the  pipes  named  will  be  furnished  by  the 
company,  and  that  the  service  pipes  running  into  houses,  and  all  the 
apparatus  connected  therewith,  regulators,  meters,  traps,  radiators,  etc., 
will  be  paid  for  by  consumers. 

EXPENSES. 

One  pound  of  coal  evaporates  9  pounds  of  water,  and  1  pound  of 


64 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’s  REPORT. 


water  will  make  27  cubic  feet  of  steam  containing  37  available  units 
of  heat  to  each  cubic  foot,  or  1,000  units  per  pound  of  water,  and 
9,000  per  pound  of  coal. 

240,000,000  cubic  feet  of  steam  will  therefore  represent  493  tons 
per  day,  or  say  500  tons,  and  for  200  days,  100,000  tons. 

To  handle  500  tons  per  day,  in  16  hours  will  require  two  sets  of 
hands,  each  set  shoveling  250  tons  in  8  hours,  or  32  tons  per  hour,  and 
as  there  will  be  10  batteries  of  12  boilers  each,  4  men  to  each  battery 
will  be  a  minimum  allowance.  This  will  require  80  inside  men  to  the 
two  gangs. 

For  outside  work,  40  men  should  be  allowed,  and  to  each  battery 
two  firemen,  and  a  general  superintendent  over  all. 

For  the  general  office  there  will  be  required  a 

President,  salary . $5,000 

Treasurer,  “  3,000 

Secretary,  “  1,500 

5  book-keepers,  each .  1,000 

5  inspectors,  “  .  9oo 

5  repair  men,  “  .  600 

With  these  data  an  approximate  estimate  of  plant  and  operating 
expenses  for  one  square  mile  will  now  be  attempted. 

PLANT. 

120  eighty  horse  power  boilers,  set . $  120,000 

Boiler  houses  and  stacks .  80,000 

Ground .  50,000 

116,160  feet  12  inch  mains,  $6 .  696,960 

27,5°°  “  3i  “  “  1-50 .  41,000 

50,000  “  “  “  1.25 .  62,500 

Cost  of  plant . $1050,460 

OPERATION. 

100,000  tons  coal,  $4 . $400,000 

120  hands  for  coal,  $300 .  36,000 

20  firemen,  $900 .  18,000 

General  office  employees .  22000 

Stationery  and  incidentals .  IO  000 

Taxes,  insurance  and  legal  expenses .  20000 

RePairS .  20’ooO 


$526,000 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


65 


INCOME. 

If  12,000  cubic  feet  per  day  be  allowed  to  average  consumers  at  a 
charge  of  $100  per  annum,  the  gross  income  would  be 


20,000  consumers  at  $ioo . $2,000,000 

Deduct  expenses .  526,000 

Net  revenue . $1,474,000 


Per  cent,  on  capital,  140. 

If  the  charges  should  be  reduced  to  $50  per  year  for 
10,000  cubic  feet  per  day  of  16  hours,  and  200  days, 


the  gross  income  would  be . $1,220,000 

Deduct  expenses .  526,000 

Net  income . $  694,000 


Per  cent,  for  dividends  or  extensions,  66. 

This  estimate  is  very  general,  and  the  data  purely  hypothetical,  but 
it  will  serve  to  give  an  idea  of  prospective  profits  from  the  introduc¬ 
tion  of  the  Holly  system  in  populous  cities.  No  account  has  been 
taken  of  condensation,  for  which  an  allowance  of  at  least  3  per  cent, 
should  be  made,  representing  an  increase  of  $12,000  in  coal  consump¬ 
tion.  And  again  the  evaporation  has  been  taken  at  9  pounds  of 
water  per  pound  of  coal,  which  is  too  large  under  the  pressures  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  required,  averaging  60  pounds,  the  evaporation  due  to 
which  is  7^  pounds,  or  an  increase  of  20  per  cent.  =  $100,000.  On 
the  other  hand  it  is  not  probable  that  the  boiler  station  would  be 
located  at  the  corner  of  a  square  mile,  and  if  near  the  centre,  a  large 
saving  would  be  effected,  as  the  mains  would  radiate  in  all  directions 
from  the  station,  and  decrease  in  size  towards  the  circumference,  proper 
connections  on  both  interior  and  exterior  cross  streets  would  serve  to 
maintain  greater  equality  of  pressure,  and  a  nearly  uniform  supply  of 
steam  in  all  parts  of  the  district,  without  such  a  duplication  of  large 
mains  as  would  be  required  if  location  was  had  at  a  remote  point  of 
the  district  to  be  supplied. 

When  the  practical  question  is  presented  of  supplying  steam  to  a 
given  city  area,  exact  data  will  be  furnished  for  the  solution  of  the 
numerous  and  complicated  questions  connected  therewith.  One  fact, 
however,  seems  to  be  clearly  established  by  the  consideration  of  the 
9 


66 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


questions  presented,  which  is,  that  at  any  reasonable  price  for  furnish¬ 
ing  steam  for  heating  purposes,  save  at  a  charge  to  consumers  consid¬ 
erably  below  the  cost  of  coal,  the  prospect  of  large  dividends  is  greater 
than  in  almost  any  investment  not  of  a  speculative  character,  provided 
a  consumption  is  assumed  nearly  to  the  limit  of  the  capacity  of  the 
plant. 

LOCATION  OF  STATION. 

The  expediency  of  locating  the  boiler  station  with  reference  to  con¬ 
venience  of  coal  supply,  or  of  steam  distribution,  will  be  considered  by 
assuming  a  case  and  calculating  results. 

Suppose  that  instead  of  locating  the  boiler  station  at  the  corner  of 
the  square,  as  in  the  case  estimated  upon,  the  convenience  of  procur¬ 
ing  coal  should  indicate  a  location  one-half  mile  distant. 

To  carry  the  steam  this  additional  half  mile  will  require  io  12-inch 
mains,  under  an  increased  pressure  of  20  pounds  per  square  inch, 
making  the  lowest  battery  pressure  60,  and  the  highest  100  pounds, 
and  the  average  80  pounds. 

The  evaporation  under  80  pounds  is  7  pounds  water  to  one  of  coal, 
and  under  60  pounds  it  is  7^.  The  increase  is  7.1  per  cent.,  or  on 


coal  consumed . $28,400 

Condensation  owing  to  high  temperature,  2  per  cent .  10,000 

Cost  of  five  miles  12-inch  main,  $158,400. 

Interest  and  repairs,  10  per  cent . $15,840 


Extra  cost  of  half  mile  in  operation . $44,240 

Cost  of  Carting  One-Half  Mile . — 100,000  tons  coal  200  days  =  500 
tons  per  day,  and  one  cart  traveling  ten  miles  would  make  ten  half- 
mile  trips;  allowing  for  obstructions,  8  miles  and  8  trips.  500-^8  =  65 
carts  daily,  or  with  reserve,  say  80  carts  and  horses  and  70  drivers. 
The  cost  of  a  horse,  feed,  harness,  shoeing  and  stable  expenses  in  New 
York  is  60  cents  per  day;  allow  75  cents  to  cover  interest  on  plant 
and  contingences.  $1.75  will  cover  cart  and  driver.  8  tons  hauled 
i  mile  =  22  cents  per  ton.  100,000  tons  carted  cost  $22,000;  carried 
in  pipes  the  extra  cost  of  transporting  the  steam  would  be  $44,240. 
It  would  therefore  seem  to  be  much  cheaper  to  cart  the  coal  and  gen¬ 
erate  the  steam  as  near  as  practicable  to  the  district  to  be  supplied. 

Another  important  practical  conclusion  would  seem  to  follow  from 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


67 


this  discussion,  which  is,  that  economy  both  in  plant  and  in  expenses 
of  operation  would  seem  to  indicate  that  a  divided  plant  and  short 
lines  of  supply,  is  preferable  to  fewer  stations  and  longer  mains ;  and 
this  would  evidently  be  most  directly  accomplished  by  locating  the 
plant  at  or  near  the  centre  of  the  district,  so  as  to  radiate  outwardly, 
and  thus  reach  the  limits  on  all  sides  with  the  shortest  possible  lines  of 
main.  But  in  planning  works  for  any  locality,  local  considerations  will 
always  have  great  influence,  and  will  often  modify  greatly  general  con¬ 
clusions. 


POWER  FURNISHED  FROM  STREET  MAINS. 

I  see  no  reason  to  change  the  opinion  expressed  in  my  first  prelim¬ 
inary  report,  that  the  Holly  System  is  ordinarily  adapted  to  the  supply 
of  small  powers  where  the  risk  and  annoyance  of  boilers  is  objectiona¬ 
ble,  and  where  power  is  required  only  occasionally.  By  simply  turning 
a  dock,  power  can  be  admitted  to  small  cylinders  for  driving  sewing 
machines  in  factories,  printing  presses,  lathes,  wood-working  machinery 
and  numerous  other  uses,  where  it  will  be  cheaper  to  pay  for  steam 
than  to  erect  a  boiler  and  engine,  purchase  coal  and  employ  an  engi¬ 
neer  to  run  it ;  often,  too,  the  space  saved  is  an  object  of  prime  impor¬ 
tance  to  be  utilized  for  other  purposes. 

But  where  large  powers  are  required  there  can  be  no  economy  in 
taking  the  steam  from  mains,  independently  of  the  saving  of  space  and 
risk  of  explosions,  for  the  steam  can  be  as  economically  generated  by  the 
large  consumer  as  by  the  plant  which  supplies  the  mains,  and  the  inter¬ 
est  on  cost  of  plant,  loss  by  friction  in  transmission,  and  profits  to  com¬ 
pany  furnishing  the  steam,  would  be  saved.  In  preparing  estimates 
and  plans  for  any  given  district,  it  may  be  expedient  therefore  to  leave 
large  consumers  of  power  out  of  consideration,  and  confine  the  esti¬ 
mates  to  small  powers,  and  to  domestic,  culinary  and  heating  purposes, 
for  which  there  is  a  very  wide  and  profitable  field  of  operation..  A 
horse  ,  power  is  a  little  less  than  half  a  cubic  foot  of  steam  per  second, 
or  0.476. 


68 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT  S  REPORT. 


CAPITAL,  EXPENSES  AND  INCOME  FOR  THE  MAXIMUM  LENGTH  OF  STREET 
MAINS  IN  THE  UPPER  PORTION  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY,  THAT  CAN  BE 
ADVANTAGEOUSLY  SUPPLIED  FROM  ONE  STATION. 

The  lower  part  of  the  city  of  New  York  is  very  irregularly  laid  out,  and 
any  plan  for  the  introduction  of  steam  mains  must  be  controlled  by  local 
considerations.  But  in  the  upper  portion  of  Manhattan  Island,  the 
avenues  are  parallel  to  each  other  and  to  the  general  course  of  the 
North  and  East  Rivers,  and  the  numbered  streets  intersecting  them  at 
right  angles,  are  at  uniform  distances.  The  blocks  into  which  the  city 
is  thus  sub-divided,  are  rectangles,  700  feet  long  and  200  feet  wide, 
containing  24  lots  of  25  x  100  feet  on  the  cross  streets,  and  8  lots  on  the 
avenues.  The  houses,  however,  do  not  generally  occupy  full  lots,  but 
frequently  three  houses  will  be  built  on  two  lots,  four  on  three  lots,  or 
five  on  four  lots. 

It  will  probably  be  nearly  correct  to  assume  an  average  of  20  feet 
front,  or  30  houses  to  a  block,  on  the  cross  streets,  and  10  on  the  ave¬ 
nues,  or  a  total  of  80  houses  to  a  block.  If  60  feet  be  allowed  as  an 
average  for  the  streets,  the  number  of  blocks  to  a  mile  of  avenue  would 
be  twenty,  and  the  number  of  consumers  per  mile  1600. 

The  average  space  to  be  warmed  in  one  of  those  New  York  houses 
cannot  be  estimated  at  less  than  20,000  cubic  feet,  and  when  heated  by 
furnaces,  the  consumption  of  coal,  from  the  best  data  obtainable,  is 
one  ton  for  each  1000  cubic  feet  for  the  season. 

One  1 2  inch  or  two  9  inch  mains  in  each  of  the  avenues  would  be 
required  to  supply  this  consumption  of  32,000,000  cubic  feet  in  sixteen 
hours,  for  one  mile  in  length  of  avenue,  and  this  will  require  1100  horse 
power,  or  say  a  battery  of  12  boilers  rated  at  100  horse  power  each. 

Suppose  a  suitable  location  for  a  station  could  be  found  on  Ninth 
Avenue,  and  that  from  this  central  point  it  should  be  proposed  to  send 
steam  for  one  mile  north  and  south,  and  from  Sixth  Avenue  on  the 
east  to  Twelfth  Avenue  on  the  west.  That  a  nine  inch  main  be  laid 
on  each  side  of  each  avenue,  instead  of  one  twelve  inch  main  in  the 
middle.  The  cost  of  two  nine  inch  mains  will  be  about  $7.50  per  lin¬ 
eal  foot,  and  of  one  twelve  inch  main  about  $6.25  per  foot,  laid ;  but 
if  the  main  is  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  there  must  be  service  pipes 
and  connections,  at  least  equivalent  in  expense  to  two  inch,  or  inch  and 
a  half  pipes,  parallel  to  the  main,  for  the  whole  extent  of  the  block,  so 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


69 


that  if  these  service  pipes  can  be  dispensed  with  by  laying  two  pipes 
near  the  curb,  instead  of  one  large  main  in  the  middle,  the  capital 
invested  will  not  be  greater  with  the  two  nine  inch  mains,  than  with  one 
twelve  inch. 

The  service  pipe  connections  along  the  avenues  may  be  made  in  one 
of  two  ways. 

i  st.  Service  boxes  may  be  placed  at  shorter  distances  than  usual,  say 
at  every  50  feet,  and  the  service  pipes  connect  with  them  directly,  or 

2d.  It  may  be  found  preferable  to  have  a  supplementary  pipe  along¬ 
side  of  the  main,  containing  brass  stop  cocks  opposite  every  building, 
with  which  to  make  the  connections,  in  which  case,  service  boxes  and 
expansion  joints  will  be  required,  and  at  street  intersections  and  from 
one  street  to  the  next  the  continuity  of  the  mains  will  be  unbroken, 
and  it  will  be  unnecessary,  after  the  pipes  are  once  laid,  to  tear  up  the 
pavements  for  any  considerable  extent  to  make  connections  when 
applications  are  received  from  new  consumers. 

ARRANGEMENTS  FOR  SUPPLY  OF  STEAM  TO  CROSS  STREETS. 

The  mains  being  laid  along  the  avenues,  and  the  distance  from  curb 
to  curb  along  cross  streets  being  700  feet,  with  30  consumers  of  20,000 
cubic  feet  on  each  side,  the  arrangement  obviously  best  for  their 
accommodation  will  be  a  small  pipe  along  the  curb,  furnished  with 
expansion  joints  at  intervals  of  100  feet,  and  with  brass  cocks  for  the 
house  connections. 

It  will  probably  be  unnecessary  to  provide  service  boxes  for  these 
pipes  as  the  water  of  condensation  would  be  carried  by  the  pressure  of 
steam  into  the  house  circulation,  to  the  advantage  of  the  consumer, 
and  would  escape  in  the  traps  after  parting  with  its  heat. 

The  sizes  of  the  pipes  in  the  cross  streets  can  be  readily  determined. 

Assuming  that  each  pipe  is  connected  with  mains  on  two  avenues, 
the  distance  from  each  would  be  350  feet,  the  number  of  consumers 
15,  and  the  consumption  for  heating  purposes  only,  5.25  cubic  feet  per 
second. 

But  if  from  any  cause  one  main  should  be  obstructed,  it  would  be 
desirable  that  the  pipe  should  have  sufficient  capacity  to  supply  from 
the  other  main  with  which  it  connects,  and  therefore  a  capacity  suffi¬ 
cient  for  700  feet,  30  consumers  and  10.50  cubic  feet  per  second  will 


70 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPt’s  REPORT. 


be  given.  The  pipe  required  for  this  supply,  with  sufficient  margin  to 
maintain  a  proper  pressure,  will  be  2  inches  in  diameter. 

The  pipes  required  to  connect  the  station  on  Ninth  avenue  with  the 
avenue  mains  should  be  10  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  number  should 
be  to  Sixth  avenue  one  main  on  each  side  of  street,  to  connect  with 

Ninth  and  Sixth  avenue  mains . 2280  feet. 

To  Seventh  avenue,  2  mains  on  each  side . 1520  “ 

To  Eighth  “  2  “  “  760  “ 

To  Tenth  “  2  “  “  760  “ 

To  Eleventh  “  2  “  “  1520  “ 

To  Twelfth  “  1  “  “  2280  “ 

Making  a  total  of  27,360  feet,  and  with  a  connecting  main  at  the  end 
of  the  mile  crossing  all  the  avenue  mains,  4560  feet,  the  total  length 
of  10-inch  mains  will  be  31,920  feet. 

The  9-inch  mains  required  for  this  area  of  two  miles  long  and  from 
Sixth  to  Twelfth  avenues  wide,  will  be 

On  Sixth  avenue .  2  miles 

On  Seventh  “  .  4  “ 

On  Eighth  “  . 4  “ 

On  Ninth  “  .  4  “ 

On  Tenth  “  .  4  “ 

On  Eleventh  “  .  4  “ 

On  Twelfth  “  .  2  “ 

126,720  feet . 24  '  “ 

The  number  of  blocks  to  a  mile  along  avenues  being  20,  the  two 
miles  will  be  forty,  and  from  Sixth  to  Twelfth  avenues  there  will  be 
240  blocks. 

Each  block  requires  two  lines  of  2-inch  pipe,  say  725  feet  long,  or 
1450  feet,  and  the  240  blocks  will  therefore  require  348,000  feet. 

240  blocks  of  80  consumers  of  20,000  cubic  feet  each,  will  contain 
19,200  consumers,  and  require  7000  cubic  feet  of  steam  per  second = 
14,000  horse  power,  nearly.  The  area  being  if  square  miles =8000 
horse  power  per  square  mile. 

20,000  consumers  of  20,000  cubic  feet  of  steam  per  16  hours =400,- 
000,000  cubic  feet =25,000,000  per  hour,  which  is  nearly  1,000,000 
cubic  feet  of  steam  per  hour  for  each  of  the  24  miles  of  9  inch  main. 

The  coal  required  will  be  98,000  pounds =49  tons  per  hour — 800 
tons  per  day,  and  160,000  tons  per  year  of  200  days,  not  including 
power. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


71 


If  the  boilers  are  of  size  sufficient  to  evaporate  each  ioo  cubic  feet 
of  water  per  hour,  the  number  required  will  be  140.  These  boilers 
may  be  placed  in  a  fire  proof  building  in  four  stories,  36  in  each  story. 

As  there  are  24  mains,  a  battery  of  6  boilers  will  be  required  for 
each  main. 

If  these  boilers  be  placed  in  two  rows  of  18  each,  on  each  floor  the 
space  required  will  be  about  60  x  150. 

The  coal  supply  presents  some  difficulties.  There  should  be  storage 
at  the  boiler  house  for  at  least  one  week,  which  will  require  a  space 
equivalent  to  100  feet  square  and  15  feet  high.  There  should  be  a 
track  connecting  with  the  wharves,  the  coal  hauled  in  short  5  ton  cars, 
raised  by  elevators  and  dumped  on  the  storage  ground.  The  space 
required  for  building,  elevators  and  storage  should  be  at  least  200  feet 
square,  and  it  would  be  desirable  to  have  an  equal  amount  in  addition 
for  storage  at  the  wharf. 

The  plan  of  the  boiler  house  and  the  form  of  boiler  will  require  the 
most  careful  consideration.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  a  building 
with  four  stories,  the  boilers  in  each  story  arranged  with  backs  against 
the  wall,  in  batteries  of  6,  an  elevated  track  to  the  line  of  which  cars 
can  be  raised  by  elevators  at  each  end,  and  by  means  of  which  coal 
can  be  dumped  in  a  wide  space  provided  for  that  purpose  in  front  of 
the  boilers,  will  be  found  most  convenient. 

A  revised  estimate  on  the  basis  of  the  data  now  presented  will  be 


given  : 

PLANT. 

Lot,  200  feet  square . . . $  50,000 

Building,  4  story,  fire  proof .  75,000 

144  boilers,  including  setting,  $1,000 .  144,000 

32,000  feet  10-inch  mains,  laid,  $4.50.  ...  . .  144,000 

127,000  “  9  “  “  “  4- 00 .  508,000 

348,000  “  2  “  “  “  1. 00 .  348,000 

60,000  “  1^  “  “  on  avenues,  80  cents .  48,000 

48  feed  pumps,  $250 .  12,000 

20,000  brass  cocks  for  supply  connections,  40  cts .  8,000 

200  street  valves,  $60 .  12,000 

Incidentals .  50,000 


$1,399,000 


72 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


EXPENSES. 

160,000  tons  coal,  $3 . $480,000 

100  laborers,  $300 .  30,000 

50  firemen,  $400 .  20,000 

10  mechanics,  $900 .  9,000 

President .  10,000 

Engineer  chief .  6,000 

2  assistants .  4,000 

Treasurer .  5, 000 

Book  keepers .  6,000 

25  inspectors .  25,000 

Taxes,  etc. — legal  expenses . 100,000 

$695,000 

INCOME. 

20,000  consumers  of  20,000  cubic  feet  each  $100 . $2,000,000 

Less  expenses .  700,000 

$1,300,000 

Capital  $1,400,000. 

Net  earning,  with  full  consumption,  93  per  cent. 

Net  earning  with  half  consumption  : 

Income . $1,000,000 

Expenses .  440,000 

Surplus .  $560,000 

Per  cent,  on  capital  56. 

Note. — I  see  no  reason  why  net  earnings  should  not  make  a  rela¬ 
tive  showing  nearly  as  good  in  smaller  places,  on  small  lines  of  pipe, 
whenever  occupied  up  to  near  their  full  capacity.  The  amount  of 
investment  and  running  expenses  will  be  reduced  in  proportion  to  extent 
of  space  to  be  warmed,  for  a  given  district. 

SUGGESTIONS  IN  REGARD  TO  A  PLAN  OF  OPERATIONS. 

1st.  Parties  desiring  to  introduce  the  Holly  System,  and  who  have 
secured  the  necessary  license  and  completed  their  organization,  will 
require  a  plan  of  the  district  to  be  supplied. 

2d.  A  location  for  the  boiler  station  as  nearly  central  as  possible  to 
the  area  to  be  supplied. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


73 


3d.  The  locality  should  be  thoroughly  canvassed  by  committees, 
and  the  number  of  consumers,  the  exact  location  on  the  plan,  the  vol¬ 
ume  of  space  to  be  heated,  or  the  amount  of  power  to  be  furnished, 
ascertained  with  the  greatest  accuracy  possible ;  also  the  probable  pro¬ 
spective  increase  in  the  demands,  and  at  what  points  it  will  be  required* 
On  these  data  will  depend  the  sizes  of  mains,  the  capacity  of  the  cen¬ 
tral  station,  and  the  amount  of  capital  required. 

4th.  This  information  having  been  obtained  by  the  local  organiza¬ 
tion,  a  competent  engineer  will  then  be  required  to  prepare  plans,  spe¬ 
cifications  and  estimates,  and  calculate  and  arrange  all  the  details  of 
the  work. 

5th.  The  work  can  be  done  under  a  competent  superintendent,  if 
such  an  one  can  be  found,  by  day  labor,  or  a  contract  can  be  made 
with  responsible  parties,  as  gas  and  water  works  are  usually  contracted, 
the  contractor  taking  a  liberal  portion  of  stock  as  part  of  the  consider¬ 
ation,  where  such  arrangement  is  desired. 

GAS  VERSUS  STEAM  FOR  HEATING  PURPOSES. 

Circulars  have  been  extensively  distributed  in  Philadelphia  and  else¬ 
where,  conspicuously  headed  “  The  Fuel  of  the  Future ,”  and  claiming 
for  a  gas  produced  from  the  decomposition  of  water,  superior  economy 
and  efficiency  as  a  combustible  over  any  other  known  fuel  or  mode  of 
heating. 

To  remove  erroneous  impressions  it  becomes  necessary  to  devote  a 
brief  space  in  this  report  to  an  examination  of  these  claims. 

How  the  Gas  is  Produced. — The  gas  is  generated  by  passing  the 
vapor  of  water  through  a  furnace  filled  with  coal  in  a  state  of  ignition, 
by  which  means  decomposition  of  the  steam  is  effected,  and  the  result¬ 
ing  gases  are  hydrogen  and  carbonic  oxide. 

When  required  for  illuminating  purposes,  these  gases  are  enriched 
with  carbon  furnished  by  naptha  or  petroleum. 

The  cost  of  illuminating  gas,  for  the  items  of  petroleum,  coal,  labor 
and  purification,  amount  to  37^  cents  per  1000  cubic  feet. 

The  testimonials  and  reports  of  experts  would  seem  to  indicate  that 
a  very  superior  illuminating  gas  is  produced  by  this  process,  and  at  this 
price. 

For  heating  and  metallurgical  purposes  a  much  cheaper  gas  can  be 

10 


74 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’S  REPORT. 


produced,  as  the  petroleum  and  naptha  can  be  dispensed  with,  and 
such  gas,  it  is  claimed,  can  be  produced  at  8  cents  per  1000  cubic 
feet 

The  -question  for  examination  is,  can  such  gas,  produced  at  the 
works  at  a  cost  of  8  cents  at  the  present  low  price  of  coal,  compete 
successfully  with  steam  as  a  source  of  heat  for  domestic  and  manufac¬ 
turing  purposes,  after  adding  a  sufficient  sum  to  cover  repairs  and  dete¬ 
rioration  of  plant,  and  to  pay  dividends  ? 

Composition  of  Water  Gas. — One  pound  contains : 


Oxygen .  0.0174 

Carbonic  Acid .  0.0637 

Nitrogen .  0.0880 

Carbonic  Oxide .  0.7097 

Hydrogen .  0.0747 

Marsh  gas .  0.0465 


It  requires  for  perfect  combustion  5.9  pounds  of  air. 

The  number  of  heat  units  developed  in  combustion  =  7. 7  2 7. 

The  specific  gravity  of  the  gas  is  0.54. 

Fifty  pounds  of  coal  it  is  claimed  will  produce  41.16  pounds  of  gas 
=  1000  cubic  feet  at  a  cost  of  eight  cents. 

COMPARATIVE  STATEMENT. 

One  pound  of  coal  will  produce  ^^=1.823  pounds  of  gas. 

The  heat  units  developed  in  combustions. 823  X  7.727  =  6359. 

One  pound  of  coal  will  evaporate  9  pounds  of  water,  and  9  pounds 
steam  contain  of  available  heat  units =9900. 

The  steam  is  produced  under  a  pressure  of  50  or  60  pounds  to  the 
square  inch,  and  requires  no  other  pressure  to  carry  it  to  a  consumer  a 
mile  or  more  distant. 

The  gas  on  the  contrary  is  produced  under  a  pressure  of  only  six 
inches  of  water,  or  less  than  one-fourth  of  a  pound,  and  the  discharge 
under  this  head  as  compared  with  steam  through  a  pipe  of  any  given 
length  or  diameter,  would  he  as  one  to  sixteen. 

A  cubic  foot  of  steam  under  the  pressure  at  which  it  is  produced, 
say  60  pounds,  contains  210  units. 

A  cubic  foot  of  gas  under  the  pressure  at  which  it  is  produced  con¬ 
tains  318  units. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


75 


Taking  both  gas  and  steam  at  atmospheric  tension  one  cubic  foot  of 
steam  will  contain  42  units,  one  cubic  foot  of  gas  will  contain  318 
units ;  or  in  proportion  as  one  to  7^,  but  as  the  discharges  of  quantity 
are  as  sixteen  to  one  in  favor  of  steam,  the  gas  mains  must  be  of  much 
larger  dimensions  or  power  must  be  applied  to  cause  the  gas  to  circu¬ 
late  at  long  distances  from  the  generator. 

The  patentees  of  the  gas  process  do  not  claim  that  they  have  per¬ 
fected  any  economical  plan  for  using  it  as  fuel  for  domestic  purposes. 
If  consumed  in  furnaces  in  the  cellar,  in  open  fire-places  or  in  stoves, 
there  must  be  nearly  the  same  waste  of  heat  units  by  escape  through 
the  flues  as  in  burning  coal  in  the  ordinary  way,  while  the  units  of  heat 
in  a  pound  of  coal  are  82  per  cent,  greater  than  in  a  pound  of  gas,  at 
a  cost  to  the  consumer  of  less  than  half,  without  allowing  profits  on 
gas  manufactured. 

I  have  omitted  profits  on  both  sides  in  this  comparison,  allowing  one 
to  offset  the  other,  and  conceding  that  1000  cubic  feet,  or  41  pounds 
of  gas  can  be  manufactured  at  the  works  for  eight  cents.  The  present 
cost  of  coal  by  wholesale  being  $2.25  per  ton,  the  cost  of  a  ton  of  gas 
would  be  $4.00  per  2000  pounds,  developing  15,454,000  heat  units,  a 
large  percentage  of  which  would  be  lost  in  subsequent  combustion, 
while  the  coal  would  contain  26,000,000  heat  units,  of  which  20,000,000 
could  be  fully  utilized  in  steam. 

It  seems  fair  therefore  to  consider  that  the  cost  of  heat  units  fur¬ 
nished  to  the  consumer  in  steam  would  be  less  than  half  the  cost  of  an 
equal  number  of  units  in  the  form  or  gas. 

STEAM  STOVE. 

A  most  important  extension  of  the  field  of  useful  application  of  the 
Holly  System  is  found  in  the  steam  stove,  the  success  of  which  has 
been  demonstrated  by  numerous  tests  in  the  presence  of  connoisseurs 
and  caterers  of  prominence. 

It  is  now  conclusively  established  that  steam  under  a  pressure  of  40 
pounds  per  square  inch,  and  a  consequent  temperature  of  300°,  can 
be  utilized  as  a  substitute  for  stoves,  ranges  and  ovens  for  at  least  nine- 
tenths  of  the  cooking  required  for  families  and  hotels,  and  that  the 
cooking  done  by  steam  is  a  wonderful  improvement  upon  the  ordinary 
mode.  Succulent  vegetables  require  no  water ;  they  contain  sufficient 
of  themselves  to  cook  thoroughly  without  any  addition,  and  the  differ- 


76 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT’s  REPORT. 


ence  in  flavor,  of  boiling  in  their  own  juices  and  boiling  in  the  ordinary 
way  in  water,  would  scarcely  be  credited.  The  food  boiled  in  water 
being  comparatively  tasteless  and  insipid. 

By  this  process  steaks,  chops,  ham  and  eggs,  can  be  fried  or  broiled, 
beans,  meats,  apples,  potatoes,  and  bread  baked,  rice  and  all  other 
vegetables  boiled,  and  one  great  peculiarity  of  the  process  is  that 
scorching  is  impossible,  and  while  the  time  required  to  prepare  food  is 
surprisingly  short,  the  food  cannot  be  spoiled  by  over-cooking. 

Another  peculiarity  of  the  process  is  that  onions,  cabbage,  and  other 
articles  which  emit  ordinarily  offensive  odors  in  cooking,  can  be  pre¬ 
pared  for  the  table  without  the  most  sensitive  olfactories  being  cogni¬ 
zant  of  the  fact. 

On  Saturday,  Feb.  22,  1879,  at  61  Beekman  street,  the  following 
culinary  operations  were  performed  in  the  presence  of  a  large  number 
of  invited  guests,  all  of  whom  expressed  surprise  and  gratification  at 
the  perfect  success  of  the  experiments,  and  especially  at  the  peculiar 
sweetness,  juiciness,  and  natural  flavor  of  all  the  articles  experimented 
upon. 

1.  Mutton,  leg,  8  pounds,  baked;  time  one  hour  to  minutes;  tho¬ 
roughly  done,  but  not  overdone.  Mr.  Coleman,  of  Burnett  House, 
Cincinnati,  expressed  the  opinion  that  it  could  have  been  removed 
from  the  oven  20  minutes  sooner. 

2.  One  pound  rice  boiled  40  minutes,  then  removed ;  found  to  be 
perfectly  soft.  It  was  then  replaced  and  without  being  stirred  was 
allowed  to  remain  one  hour  and  a  half  longer,  to  prove  that  it  could 
not  be  scorched. 

3.  Three  large  apples,  baked ;  removed  in  30  minutes,  done  per¬ 
fectly  ;  could  have  been  removed  sooner. 

4.  Eight  onions,  about  size  of  large  walnuts,  placed  in  tin  vessel 
about  size  of  pint  cup,  with  cover,  and  this  placed  inside  of  one  of  the 
covered  compartments  of  stove;  removed  in  37  minutes,  soft  and  well 
boiled. 

5.  Coffee,  5  half  pints,  time  very  short,  but  not  noted ;  about  ten 
minutes. 

6.  Potatoes,  baked ;  two  large  Irish  and  two  large  sweet ;  in  oven 
40  minutes  ;  well  baked. 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


77 


7.  Potatoes  boiled,  two  large  Irish  and  two  large  sweet;  water 
cold,  time  28  minutes.  The  water  was  allowed  to  evaporate,  which 
could  be  done  safely,  as  scorching  is  impossible.  Potatoes  opened 
very  dry  and  mealy. 

8.  Plum  pudding,  mixed  and  batter,  placed  in  receptacle,  remained 
in  37  minutes  ;  nicely  browned  on  outside,  light  and  spongy  inside,  and 
very  palatable. 

9.  One  beefsteak  and  two  mutton  chops  in  broiler,  removed  in  7 
minutes,  thoroughly  cooked.  No  part  raw  and  remarkably  juicy. 

10.  Large  slice  of  ham  in  broiler,  turned  in  4  minutes,  finished  in 
7  minutes  from  commencement.  It  was  noticed  by  gentlemen  present 
that  when  cold,  instead  of  being  hard,  the  ham  remained  soft  and 
juicy. 

11.  Eggs  fried  in  3  minutes,  done  just  right. 

12.  Cabbage,  boiled,  40  minutes. 

13.  Beans  and  pork,  nicely  browned  and  soft,  one  hour. 

After  these  experiments  were  completed,  a  thermometer  was  placed 
in  the  oven,  which  indicated  a  temperature  of  282°. 

The  stove  was  then  cleaned  and  time  noted.  To  cleanse  it  thor¬ 
oughly  required  14  minutes. 

Form  of  Stove. — The  stove  experimented  upon  was  34  inches  long, 
18  inches  wide  and  10  inches  deep.  It  stood  about  30  inches  high, 
and,  except  the  top  plate,  was  jacketed  with  felt  to  prevent  radiation. 
The  lower  part,  between  the  bottom  of  the  stove  and  the  floor,  was 
cased  with  walnut,  and  presented  a  neat  appearance.  This  space  was 
not  utilized,  but  could  be  to  great  advantage  in  warming  plates  and 
keeping  dishes  warm  without  drying. 

In  the  top  plate  were  compartments,  all  of  which  were  8  inches  deep 
in  the  inside,  leaving  a  space  below  sufficient  for  steam  circulation. 
The  largest  of  these  compartments  was  1 5  inches  by  9 ;  two  others 
were  8  by  4  inches,  one  was  8  by  5  inches,  and  two  circular  ones  8£ 
inches  in  diameter. 

The  broiler  was  a  separate  stand,  12  inches  diameter  and  2  inches 
deep,  the  sides  and  bottom  well  scoured  and  bright.  The  compart¬ 
ments  in  the  stove  were  clean,  but  not  scoured. 

One  pail  of  water,  containing  by  weight  20  pounds,  was  poured  into 
the  oven ;  it  boiled  from  a  temperature  of  40°  in  two  minutes. 


78 


GENERAL  HERMAN  HAUPT  S  REPORT. 


Suggestions. — The  stove,  instead  of  being  rectangular,  should  be  cir¬ 
cular  in  form,  and  banded  with  wrought  iron,  and  before  putting  any 
one  upon  the  market  for  sale,  it  should  be  tested  to  150  pounds,  so  as 
to  render  accidents,  by  bursting,  impossible. 

There  should  be  no  corners  in  the  compartments,  but  their  form 
should  be  such  as  to  facilitate  the  operation  of  cleaning  as  much  as 
possible.  The  manufacturer  could  readily  rig  up  an  apparatus  run  by 
power,  to  scour  the  interior  surface,  using  polishing  felt  and  sand,  or 
some  other  of  the  numerous  devices  that  could  be  suggested  for  that 
purpose.  The  labor  of  cleaning  after  cooking  would  not  then  occupy 
five  minutes.  No  kettles,  pots  or  pans  to  be  washed. 

Cost  of  Fuel. — Mr.  Ashcroft  proposes  to  ascertain  by  direct  exper¬ 
iment,  by  condensing  and  weighing  the  water,  the  actual  amount  of 
steam  required  and  the  consumption  of  coal  represented,  but  in  the 
absence  of  such  experimenting,  I  have  made  pretty  careful  calculations 
based  upon  the  laws  of  radiation,  and  find  that  the  actual  cost  of  pre¬ 
paring  food  for  the  table,  and  for  all  kitchen  requirements,  will  be 
surprisingly  small.  The  kitchen  in  summer  by  reason  of  overheating, 
is  usually  a  place  of  great  discomfort  to  the  housewife.  This  will  be 
avoided  with  steam,  as  it  can  be  turned  off  the  moment  it  is  not  required 
for  use. 

The  poorer  classes  living  in  single  rooms,  could  have  small  stoves 
with  only  two  or  three  compartments,  which  would  suffice  for  their 
limited  culinary  requirements,  and  which  would  also  serve  as  radiators 
to  furnish  heat.  No  fuel  would  be  used,  no  risks  incurred  from  fires, 
and  no  children’s  lives  destroyed  by  burning  in  the  temporary  absence 
of  the  mothers.  The  catalogue  of  casualties  from  such  causes  would 
be  reduced. 

When  tenement  houses,  those  hot-beds  of  vice,  crime,  and  pestilence, 
shall  be  abandoned,  and  their  unfortunate  occupants  removed  to 
healthy  suburban  localities,  shall  be  permitted  to  breathe  pure  air  and 
behold  heaven’s  sunshine,  where  they  can  be  brought  to  their  work 
and  returned  to  their  homes  by  compressed  air  motors  at  a  speed  lim¬ 
ited  only  by  considerations  of  safety,  and  at  a  cost  for  propelling  power 
less  than  one-third  the  cost  of  coal  in  street  dummies ;  when  three 
meals  can  be  cooked  and  apartments  warmed  at  a  nominal  cost  by  the 
Holly  System,  then  will  a  stride  be  taken  in  the  amelioration  of  the 


HOLLY  SYSTEM  OF  STEAM  HEATING. 


79 


condition  of  the  working  classes,  and  in  their  moral,  sanitary  and  intel¬ 
lectual  advancement,  in  comparison  with  which  the  millions  expended 
by  benevolent  and  charitable  associations  under  the  appeal  of  elo¬ 
quence,  will  sink  into  insignificance. 

Make  men  comfortable  at  home,  and  the  temptation  to  crime  is 
removed ;  enable  them  with  the  pittance  earned  by  labor  to  provide 
more  largely  the  necessaries  of  life,  and  the  ground  work  is  laid  for 
moral  and  Christianizing  influences,  for  the  good  seed  cannot  take  root 
where  the  ear  is  closed  to  all  but  the  cries  of  want,  and  the  conscience 
seared,  and  the  wolves  of  famine,  cold  and  pestilence  are  howling  at 
the  door. 

Is  it  extravagant,  visionary,  enthusiastic,  to  class  the  Holly  Steam 
System,  the  Ashcroft  stove,  and  the  pneumatic  motor,  as  agencies  of 
the  highest  order  in  advancing  the  interests  and  in  promoting  the  com¬ 
fort  and  happiness  of  suffering  humanity  ?  If  so,  I  am  an  enthusiast. 
I  may  not  live  to  see  the  bright  dreams  of  the  future  realized,  but  if 
capitalists  will  refrain  from  excessive  charges,  humanity  will  reap  large 
benefits  from  these  inventions. 


ERRATA. 


Page  14,  paragraph  1,  lines  3  to  14,  see  supplement. 

Page  38,  first  line  of  table  for  .9375  insert  .0375. 

Page  39,  line  19,  for  y's’read 
Page  61,  line  n,  for  1200  read  12000. 

Page  62,  substitute  table  of  evaporation  in  supplement. 

Page  63,  line  10,  for  net  read  not. 

Page  67,  line  12,  for  ordinarily  read  ad?nirably. 

Page  69,  line  12,  for  a?id  read  only. 

Page  72,  Note  line  3,  for  occupied  up  read  operated. 

Page  78,  last  paragraph,  line  4,  for  where  read  when ,  and  in  line  7, 
for  three  read  their. 

Page  79,  line  3,  for  appeal  read  appeals. 


EXPLANATION. 

The  report  was  printed  at  Lockport,  and  with  the  exception  of  por¬ 
tions  containing  algebraic  formulae,  the  author  had  no  opportunity  of 
correcting  proofs.  The  errors,  however,  are  less  numerous  and  impor¬ 
tant  than  it  was  reasonable,  under  the  circumstances,  to  expect.  He 
'did  not  see  the  Title  Page  until  the  report  had  been  printed  and 
bound,  and  the  matter  for  certain  alterations  in  the  table  of  evapora¬ 
tion  was  received  too  late  for  insertion,  and  will  be  found  in  the  sup¬ 
plement.  H.  H. 


SUPPLEMENT 


A  remarkable  diversity  of  opinion  is  found  to  exist  amongst  practical 
engineers  and  boiler  manufacturers  in  regard  to  the  effects  of  increased 
pressure  upon  evaporation ;  some  contending  that  the  quantity  of  water 
evaporated  under  high  boiler  pressures  is  greatly  reduced — others  that 
the  difference  is  inconsiderable,  and  others  again,  admit  that  the  ques¬ 
tion  is  new  to  them  and  has  not  received  attention. 

On  page  14  an  attempt  was  made  to  explain  certain  statements  made 
by  a  mechanical  engineer  of  large  experience,  and  accepted  at  the  time 
as  facts,  but  further  consideration  has  satisfied  the  writer  that  the  facts 
are  overstated,  and  that  the  theory  upon  which  they  were  attempted 
to  be  explained  requires  modification.  A  revised  table  was  forwarded 
to  Lockport  for  substitution,  but  the  form  having  been  printed  the  cor¬ 
rection  was  too  late  for  insertion. 

The  fact  of  a  difference  of  evaporation  under  pressure  is  very  gen¬ 
erally  admitted  by  mechanical  engineers,  and  is  moreover  confirmed  by 
direct  experiments  in  England  where  as  the  result  of  28  carefully  con¬ 
ducted  experiments  it  was  found  that  the  coal  required  to  evaporate 
20  cubic  feet  of  water  at  pressures  from  o  to  60  lbs.  above  atmosphere 
varied  from  195  to  210  lbs.,  or  a  difference  of  8  per  cent,  with  3  atmos^ 
pheres. 

No  explanation  of  this  fact  so  far  as  the  writer  knows,  has  been 
attempted,  but  it  would  seem  reasonable  to  assume  that  the  consump¬ 
tion  of  coal  should  be  in  proportion  to  the  work  done. 

If  we  suppose  one  cubic  foot  of  water  to  be  confined  in  a  cylinder 
of  one  square  foot  sectional  area  and  of  indefinite  height,  and  heat 
applied  to  convert  the  water  into  steam  under  the  atmospheric  pressure 
of  14.7  pounds,  the  space  through  which  this  weight  would  move 
would  be  1700  feet,  and  1700X14.7X144=3.598,560  foot  pounds  of 
work  in  the  conversion  of  one  cubic  foot  of  water  into  steam  under 
one  atmosphere  of  pressure. 


SUPPLEMENT. 


83 


Assume  as  a  second  illustration  that  the  pressure  is  200  lbs.,  the  tem¬ 
perature  will  be  387  degrees  and  the  space  occupied  by  the  steam 
under  this  pressure  158  cubic  feet.  The  foot  pounds  of  work  in  the 
conversion  of  the  water  into  steam  under  this  pressure  will  be  4,550,000, 
an  increase  of  951,440  foot  pounds  or  26  per  cent. 

The  following  table  of  evaporation  is  based  on  the  Lockport  duty 
of  9  lbs.  water  to  1  pound  coal  under  25  lbs.  pressure,  and  assumes 
that  the  consumption  under  any  other  pressure  is  in  proportion  to  foot 
pounds  of  work. 

Column  1  represents  total  pressure  of  steam. 

“  2  “  temperature. 

“  3  “  cubic  feet  steam  from  1  cubic  foot  water. 

“  4  “  foot  pounds  of  work  in  expanding. 

l(  5  “  pounds  of  water  evaporated  by  1  lb.  coal. 


. 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

14.7 

212 

1700 

3598560 

9- 783 

80 

316° 

362 

4133000 

8.516 

20 

228° 

1281 

3689000 

9-542 

85 

320° 

342 

4151000 

8.481 

25 

241 0 

1044 

3759000 

9-364 

90 

324° 

325 

4169000 

8-444 

30 

252° 

883 

3815000 

9.227 

95 

328° 

310 

4178000 

8.426 

35 

261° 

767 

3866000 

9. 1 16 

100 

332° 

292 

4205000 

8.370 

40 

269° 

679 

39 1 io4° 

9  000 

1 10 

339 J 

271 

4293000 

8.201 

45 

276° 

610 

3963000 

8.850 

120 

34i 0 

25i 

4338000 

8. 126 

50 

283° 

554 

3989000 

8.825 

130 

352° 

233 

436200b 

8.070 

55 

289° 

508 

4024000 

8.748 

140 

357° 

218 

4395000 

8.015 

60 

295c 

470 

4061000 

8.668 

150 

363° 

205 

4428000 

7-950 

65 

301° 

437 

4079000 

8.628 

175 

376 

178 

4486000 

7.847 

70 

306° 

408 

4097000 

8.592 

200 

387° 

158 

4550000 

7.742 

75 

31  c 

383 

41 15000 

8-553 

1 

STEAM  REQUIRED  PER  HORSE  POWER. 

It  is  customary  for  parties  using  power  to  furnish  other  parties  with 
steam,  for  a  consideration,  and  the  charge  made  in  Philadelphia  varies 
'from  $75  to  $125  per  horse  power  per  annum. 

This  is  a  very  uncertain  basis  of  charge  for  the  steam  consumed  per 
horse  power  is  a  very  variable  quantity,  being  dependent  on  the  degree 
of  expansion  in  the  cylinder. 

If  steam  is  used  at  a  low  pressure  and  without  expansion,  it  requires 
fully  one  cubic  foot  of  water  evaporated  per  hour  per  horse  power,  or 
.472  cubic  feet  per  second,  as  can  be  readily  shown  Suppose  effective 
pressure  =  20  pounds.  The  foot  pounds  of  effective  work  in  evapor¬ 
ating  one  cubic  foot  would  raise  144X20  =  2880  pounds  to  a  height 


LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS 

84  supplement.  01  799  555  8  • 

of  767  feet  in  one  hour,  or  36,800  foot  pounds  per  minute,  which  is 
slightly  in  excess  of  a  horse  power.  At  lower  pressures  a  cubic  foot  of 
water  evaporated  would  produce  less  and  at  higher  pressures  more, 
assuming  that  the  steam  is  used  without  expansion  in  the  engine  cylin¬ 
ders.  Now,  suppose  steam  to  be  used  expansively.  If  the  pressure  in 
the  mains  be  60  pounds,  the  expansion  in  the  cylinder  cannot  be  quite 
as  much  as  3,  and  the  per  centage  of  gain  1 10,  so  that  in  this  case  half 
a  cubic  foot  of  water  per  hour  would  furnish  a  horse  power,  or  3^ 
pounds  of  coal.  At  this  rate  the  margin  of  profit  in  supplying  power 
would  be  very  large  to  a  company  with  numerous  patrons,  and  at  the 
same  time  it  might  prove  quite  economical  to  the  consumer.  If  high¬ 
er  pressures  and  greater  expansion  could  be  used,  the  economy  would 
be  still  greater. 


v 


LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS 


0  001  799  555  8  »>